Posted on May 17, 2016 by Joanna Carver
Alyssa Dunn’s first introduction to cyber security was as a freshman at UTSA. Following her passion, Dunn received her bachelor’s from UTSA and continued on to complete her Master of Science in Information Technology degree this month.
Alyssa Dunn Photo
“I liked the real-world applicability of the program,” said Dunn, who graduated from Ronald Reagan High School.
Wanting to choose a career that made a difference, Dunn decided to explore options with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). After applying for their internship program as an undergraduate, Dunn was accepted and began interning with them in their Crimes Against Children division. She continued working with them for four years through her graduate studies at UTSA.
“I was able to use what I learned in my UTSA classes to work the cases,” said Dunn. “They used the same programs that I was studying in class.”
As a graduate student, Dunn was selected to participate in the National Science Foundation’s CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program. The program pays tuition and a stipend to participants in exchange for government service upon graduation.
“Growing up in a military family instills a sense of patriotism in you,” said Dunn. “My father’s 31 years of service to the United States Air Force inspired me to set my own path of government service, and I ended up finding a home with the FBI.”
Alyssa Dunn will travel to Washington, D.C. this summer to begin her two-year service commitment. Once she meets that obligation her career goal is to become a FBI special agent.
“I loved working at the FBI,” said Dunn, who is currently preparing for the physical component of the FBI’s three-part exam. “The great thing is that they focus on developing the whole person. Agents are held to the highest ethical standards and integrity is essential.”
Following six years at UTSA, Dunn noted that freshman Alyssa would be proud of what she has accomplished. “It has been a great journey,” she said. “I have been extremely blessed with career and scholarship opportunities thanks to UTSA.”
Wendy Frost—
Please send your comments to: wendy.frost@utsa.edu
— Joanna Carver
