ICTC: CyberTitan Alumni Interview 2: Calum

Calum was one of the four brave seniors I convinced to give CyberPatriot a try when ICTC started up CyberTitan, the Canadian Student Cybersecurity Competition, in the 2017/18 school year. None of us had any background in modern cybersecurity at that time and we made all sorts of rookie mistakes, but as we got a handle on the competition we were able to exercise our considerable IT skills more effectively (Cal was also the 2018 Skills Ontario Provincial Gold Medalist in IT & Networking and he went on to a top 5 finish at Skills Canada Nationals in Edmonton that year). From that first team of four brave students, the next year we had 3 teams (18 students) and the year after that 4 teams (24 students). This year CW is running 5 teams (30 students) for the first time. If you approach student #cybersecurity competitions with an open mind and a willingness to learn, it can open up opportunities for both staff and students. Cal is now in his final year at University of Waterloo and is cooping in #fintech. Coach King is now seconded to ICTC where he is determined to expand CyberTitan engagement with students who aren’t lucky enough to be attending a big city STEM specialist school. Everyone needs cyber-awareness in 2023!