November 18, 2022
A senior this year at Shawnee State University, Chris Desotelle (Hometown: Columbus, Ohio), first found his way to the university to pursue a Game & Simulation Arts degree.
“I was an avid gamer and thought I wanted a career in that field,” he said.
Obtaining that degree in 2009, Desotelle returned to SSU recently to pursue another bachelor’s degree in Information Security (Cybersecurity).
“After I graduated with my Game & Simulation Arts degree, I discovered that I really enjoyed the technical aspect of gaming – programming and the like – but also that the investigatory nature of Information Security appealed to me,” he said.
As he’s navigated his new degree, Desotelle has found that he loves the hands-on learning he can get in the lab. While he can sometimes be frustrated while trying to figure out a problem, once he’s found the solution, he feels exhilarated. Through his lab work, he’s felt prepared for his career, thanks to his faculty members presenting him and his classmates with real life scenarios to work out.
“The best way to learn is by doing,” he said.
After graduation, Desotelle hopes to find a job within his field that can help improve his community by protecting the information that is often overlooked as needing secured.
The Information Security (Cybersecurity) degree program at SSU teaches students how to detect and defend against network infrastructure attacks by learning how to think like a hacker, and how to use the tools hackers use to penetrate network defenses. Graduates of this program also develop problem solving and communication skills necessary to function effectively with end-users and decisions makers in organizations.
To learn more about Information Security at Shawnee State University, visit shawnee.edu/cybersecurity.