The following CTE Success Story was submitted by TSgt. Carla Ferrette-Clark (Ret.), MHS, Information Support & Service CTE Instructor, Military Magnet Academy:

Military Magnet Academy is honored to participate in the Step Into the Cyber Workforce pilot program, an Office of Naval Research (ONR) initiative designed to build early awareness, skills, and interest in cybersecurity careers. Through this pilot, our students engage in hands-on cybersecurity activities, the Cyber.org curriculum, and interactive challenges—including gamified learning environments such as Minecraft- to explore what it means to be a future cyber defender.

As part of our participation in this pilot, we welcomed Tyra Harris, a representative from Meucci & Company, a consultancy committed to advancing digital development at the intersection of equity, employability, economic growth, and citizen empowerment. Her visit, “Step Into the Cyber Workforce Day,” served as an essential extension of the pilot’s mission to expose students to real-world voices and career pathways within the cyber workforce. Students were also greeted with two virtual messages from Capt. Joshua J. Sanders, DPA, Commanding Officer, Navy Information Operations Command (NIOC) Hawaii, and Mr. Bobbie Russell, Sr. Security Solutions Engineer with Microsoft, both offered powerful words of encouragement.

Ms. Harris shared insights into the growing opportunities in cybersecurity and emphasized that success in this field can come through multiple pathways—not just the traditional four-year degree. She encouraged our students to consider how their strengths, curiosity, and lived experiences can align with the many emerging roles in the cyber and tech industries.

Her presentation deepened students’ understanding of the diverse routes into cybersecurity. It reinforced the purpose of the Step Into the Cyber Workforce pilot: to empower students with knowledge, access, and confidence as they explore future careers in the digital world. Following the presentation, Cadet G’Rajnai Washington shared that although she entered the semester only somewhat curious about cybersecurity, Ms. Harris’s message convinced her that this is a field in which she may excel and that she is now even more interested in pursuing it.