Like many college freshmen, Ashley Judson wanted to get out of her hometown. UCCS was initially too close for the computer science graduate and she first attended CU Boulder, but COVID forcing her classes online changed the experience she thought she'd be getting. But, it also helped her realize the career path she wanted to pursue.

"I entered Boulder and had maybe one week of in-person classes, then everything went online again and I was just staring at my laptop and feeling like I was spending a lot of money to be there and I couldn't really experience the culture," recalled Ashley. "But I was in the engineering school and undecided, and I got put into a computer science class for the first time. I'd never programmed in my life and at first it was so hard and I didn't understand it all. I did a lot of tutoring and seeking resources and help from my professors and eventually it just clicked."

After finding her passion for computer science, Ashley rerouted her path by attending Pikes Peak State University to complete her standard math and science classes. Though she transferred to UCCS with being around friends and better academic options at the forefront of her mind, she found a community, more opportunities and further discovery on what she wanted for a career.

"In my first year at UCCS, I met some amazing people that introduced me to cybersecurity," said Ashley. "Professors Deborah Harding and Serena Sullivan helped me get my mindset clear about what I wanted to pursue. Professor Sullivan also helped me shift my mindset on how to use the resources at UCCS, so I started joining cybersecurity clubs. I became an officer of two of them very quickly and started networking."

Ashley credits many of the connections and networking opportunities she's gained to her participation in cybersecurity clubs.

"I was a secretary for Mountain Lion Cyber, and then started doing similar work for the Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) Student Chapter before becoming an officer for them," Ashley said. "Last year, I became the vice president of WiCyS and I work alongside one of my best friends, who acts as club president, and it's been such a great opportunity and experience. Getting involved in that and doing outreach to students has been a huge part of my life the past few years."

Through those opportunities, Ashley landed an internship with tech and management consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton.

"I started the internship last summer and since then, I've made so many different connections and continued doing software development until recently, when I got a full-time offer for cybersecurity and transitioned to that department," said Ashley. "They treat me so well in the community that they create and they foster, it's kind of changed my perspective on what I want out of a career. The way Booz Allen Hamilton works, is you get put on a project and you work that and then you find a new project and so on, and they've been so open about saying that whatever I want to do, they want to help me get there. That was a characteristic that really stuck out to me - the openness to give you the ability to learn on the job and find new paths."

As Ashley shifts from student to graduate and intern to full-time employee, she'll miss many of the things she's saying farewell to. Eating at Clyde's pub with classmates and her work in WiCyS are some her favorite memories.

"We ended up eating here and working on our laptops, doing heavy programming, having lunch, talking about life and connecting so much at this exact table I'm sitting at now," Ashley said. "We kept growing as a group and more people would show up, and we got through so much at this table. This is a huge part of my experience here, being with those individuals and getting through everything - the hard, the bad, the good, the ugly."

"My experience being a WiCyS vice president has been so eye opening," she added. "Being able to be that leader, communicate with different students and planning club events has been awesome, especially to find out the students had a good time and were excited for them. Recently we just got back from Dallas, Texas, where we have our Women in Cybersecurity conference. That's something huge that UCCS supports with all the cyber faculty, and being able to be around all the students that decided to go and communicate with them was an opportunity I really appreciated."

Outside of her cybersecurity endeavors, Ashley loves to snowboard and enjoys an eclectic range of music, along with spending time with her boyfriend and their cat, Boo.

"In 2020, I got really into snowboarding," she said. "I go to Monarch Mountain with my college pass and little discount, which I'm going to miss. I feel like I really excelled in snowboarding - I'm not the best, but I feel confident and I have so much enjoyment in it. It's a really good way that to just get out there and relieve some stress and be solely in the moment."

Ashley reiterated the benefit of making close friends to help navigate school trying new things.

"My brother is a recent freshman here and I told him, 'Make friends with your classmates. Find a group of similar thinking or people that are interested in a similar path and latch onto that and get through everything together,'" said Ashley.

"My friends and I built a community and got through everything together," she said. "Even if you don't know the person next to you, talk to them, start making those connections and find that buddy system. Because no matter your major, you're gonna have difficult times mentally and academically. If you have those people that care about you and you care about them, you're going to get through all it."