Master's Homeland Security, Cyber-Threat Analytics and Prevention

The Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security with a special, intensive focus on Cyber-Threat Analytics and Prevention, at the University of XXXX, is my first choice for graduate school. I deeply admire the sheer cutting-edge excellence of your program and its pioneering online flexibility which will allow me to continue in my current employment position. Since May of last year, 2017, I have been employed full time as a Security Administrator for ManPowerGroup’s public sector operations, providing highly trained employees with special skills to meet the enormous, ever-changing personnel needs of the US government. Many of these positions require security clearance and I have been intimately involved with these aspects of our function, in addition to cybersecurity and the security of our local facilities.

In my last semester at the University of XXXX and set to graduate in May of 2018, I am currently working on my Capstone project, an in-depth analysis of the extent to which US immigration control is or can be a useful instrument against terrorism. Being accepted to and completing your especially distinguished program will enable me to become a more well-rounded security professional, well versed in most if not all of aspects of Security Studies most closely related to my central focus on cyber security. I am dedicated, hardworking and have a keen desire for learning and professional advancement. My long-term goal is to serve in an executive position with the federal government and to be fully immersed for decades to come in cybersecurity policy making and threat prevention.

A Bosnian-American woman, I was born in Bosnia and lived there until the age of 7 when I fled along with neighbors looking after me to live as war refugees in neighboring Croatia – leaving both of my parents behind in Bosnia. A little less than 3 years later, we were relocated to Germany and then, at the age of 15, I was allowed to come to the USA. That was 1998. I have never returned to Bosnia, as the memories of war still scar my heart deeply and I am not yet ready. However, after 20 years of becoming American, and giving my all, heart, body, and soul to the study of security, especially everything having to do with cybersecurity, I am ready to give my all 100% to graduate study at the University of Pennsylvania’s vanguard program in Homeland Security. The depth and horrors of war, genocide, and chaos that I witnessed as a little girl, as I see it, make me a natural choice for Security Studies, since I have special and profound appreciation for peace and stability.

I want to inspire other women to get more involved with cybersecurity – as well as STEM programs across the curriculum. I feel strongly that women need to become full partners in our security efforts and this is perhaps particularly true in the area of cybersecurity where we also continue to be underrepresented.  I plan to continue to devote much of my energy on a volunteer level to working to involve girls not only in cybersecurity issues, but engineering, mathematics and science as well. In particular, I want to be an inspiration to my two lovely daughters.

I thank you for considering my application to Homeland Security at the University of XXXX.