Hello my name is Jen, I am a recovering Aerospace Engineer/Astrophysicist (Rocket Scientist) who landed in Information Security and found my people.
I arrived at Information Security in a round-about way. I started in a HelpDesk role, then found myself doing some network and system administration. Next thing I know I am a self-employed one-woman MSP shop in Des Moines. I started tinkering with CTFs, and then in January 2019 Rachel Tobac came to speak at an ISSA Des Moines Members Dinner. I didn’t attend the dinner, but my Spousal Unit did. We both learned about WISP that night, and then heard that WISP offered scholarships to conferences like DefCon and Blackhat. Spousal Unit stayed later and got to talk to Rachel and learn more about WISP, and before he even got home he was telling me all about it. A little bit later, I got brave enough to apply to be a WISP DefCon Scholar for 2019.
I continued plugging along, my first ever CFP was accepted and I was able to present at BSides Iowa in 2019. I thought to myself, this could not get better. Then on June 4th 2019 at 12:11pm CST everything changed. I got an email notifying me that I had won a spot for the 2019 WISPDEFCON scholarship. Out of hundreds of applications, I was picked, I was going to DefCon. My Twitter went insane, all of my local friends were helping me get my schedule set, and after a couple of days, I bought my flight and hotel in Las Vegas. I had never been there before.
Because of WISPs help I was able to get to DefCon, have a BLAST, learn all new shenanigans, and meet people who don’t often come to Des Moines. Using that WISP Scholar (DefCon 2019) on my resume and social media presence, helped me to obtain a job in Information Security before I ever took off for Las Vegas. It helped me transition from an unknown quantity, to a valued trusted member of the Information Security Community. I had hoped that going to DefCon with WISP would allow me to leave with a job, granted I accepted one before I left, but had several solid amazing offers that I turned down.
I have also since been a bigger part of my SecDSM, as I learned at DefCon SecDSM donated half of a WISP Scholarship, so we unofficially decided I was SecDSM’s WISP Scholar. I say, a lot, that who I am and where I am is because of everyone around me and everyone who has helped me learn and grow. WISP is one of the biggest reasons I have accomplished all that I have since June 4th of this year. And with that thinking, every single person who has donated time, money, supplies, anything to WISP has helped me as well. I am grateful and humbled.