Posted on April 21, 2021 by Wendy Frost
Ranking as one of our most remote Roadrunners, Anastacia Lange is a student in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business online undergraduate cyber security program.
Stationed in Italy, Lange is a sergeant with the Space Force. Specializing in technology and cyber systems operation, she manages accounts and servers for the military.
Aspiring to become an officer, Lange was looking for an undergraduate program that she could complete while also working full-time.
“After researching other cyber programs, I was immediately sold on UTSA,” said Lange, who graduated from Churchill High School and previously attended UTSA. “I wanted a degree from a reputable institution, and UTSA had excellent credentials.”
Flexibility was also important to her, and she found that in the program. Most classes are taught in an asynchronous format, which is beneficial for her considering the time difference. Her coursework consists of reading assignments and watching recorded lectures or slide decks. She also participates in online discussions and interacts with classmates through chat groups.
“My classmates have a wide array of experiences,” said Lange, who began the program in 2020. “It is good to bounce ideas off of each other, and I’m happy to share my experiences and perspectives with them.”
Tracing her interest in cyber security to a high school Java course, she was inspired by her Programming Languages class. “It was challenging, but also rewarding,” she said. “I love programming.”
Lange credits faculty members like Rita Mitra with taking an active interest in her success. “Professor Mitra scheduled a Zoom meeting to go over a virtual machine setup with me, even though this was something I do at work every day. Knowing that she was there to take care of me was valuable in case I ever ran into issues.”
Equipped with hands-on experience, she is also learning things that are different from her current job. “I’ve been able to apply skills I’ve learned in networking and statistics to my daily life. From being able to identify trends with our server to better understanding my networking colleagues, it has all been extremely useful.”
Lange also valued non-technical business subjects. One of her favorite classes has been Business Communication and Professional Development. She enjoyed learning about generational differences in communication, which was beneficial since the military brings together individuals who can be generations apart.
But, ultimately she is grateful for both the depth of knowledge that UTSA’s cyber security program provides her as well as the support that she receives from program faculty.
UTSA’s online cyber security program has been ranked No. 26 in the nation by Intelligent.com and earned its “Best Academic Support” designation.
“Do you just want that piece of paper or do you really want to learn something? I want to know if the degree I’m getting holds weight. Having a degree from UTSA is a lot more marketable than other online cyber security programs,” she said.
— Wendy Frost
