My Story

In the spring of 2016, I began my journey as a freshman at DePauw University. I was a first-generation Latin American student trying to find my purpose in life. I didn’t have a set plan for what I wanted to do, so I ended up taking various courses that didn’t align with any particular degree plan. Luckily, at DePauw, you are encouraged to explore different fields until you decide on your major. It was very much a trial-and-error process as I started out as a Music major, then switched to a Math major, and eventually landed on a Philosophy major. It wasn’t until my second year that I decided to major in Computer Science.

Even though I had decided on Computer Science, I wasn’t particularly good at it, but it interested me enough to keep going. It wasn’t until the second half of my junior year that I began to feel like I knew what I was doing in my Computer Science courses. A key turning point for me was that during my time at DePauw, I was part of the Honors Scholars Program. In this program, you have the opportunity to take various interdisciplinary courses, which I found much more engaging than the typical courses. However, there was one class in particular that caught my attention: Bioethics. This course helped me realize that Computer Science is not only relevant to the tech field but also to other areas of study. By studying the ethics of medical practices and hospital procedures, I realized just how poor the security was in both the technology used in hospitals and their general networks. This intrigued me enough to pursue further studies in cybersecurity, in the form of a Master's Degree.

During my time at Purdue University, I learned so much about security that it really worried me how bad the security was in many fields, not just in hospitals. Getting my Master's degree was probably one of the toughest but most rewarding things I’ve ever done, and I am grateful for having had the chance to complete it. However, getting to where I am now from where I started at DePauw was a bumpy road. I had no clue what I was doing, and as a first-generation student, I was figuring things out on my own since I didn’t have someone close to ask for help.

I always felt that if I had someone to show me how to navigate my way through college and graduate school, it would have been a much easier and less stressful process. But since I’ve already graduated and now have a job, I can’t go back in time to help my past self. Instead, I want to help others who are struggling with their own bumpy roads, making the journey feel less like a struggle. That is the purpose of this platform: to help others through their journey so that they can be successful. I want to make your career a success in any way I can.

- Giovanni Ordonez