(L-R) Cadet Tech. Sgt. Vincent Lovell Lujan, Cadet Capt. Prithika Chauhan, Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Victoria Ball, and Cadet Col. Cynthia Liu represented Civil Air Patrol’s Sky Harbor Squadron in the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.
PHOENIX – Cadets from Civil Air Patrol’s Sky Harbor Squadron ranked first in Arizona in the All Service Division Gold Tier in the Air and Space Forces Association’s CyberPatriot competition. This was the first year the team reached the semifinals. The All Service Division includes high school students in the Civil Air Patrol, JROTC, or U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps.
CyberPatriot is a National Youth Cyber Education Program established by the Air and Space Forces Association to motivate K-12 students to explore careers in cybersecurity and other vital fields in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for the future of our nation. At the heart of this program is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, where middle and high school teams compete. Participants take on the role of newly hired IT professionals responsible for managing networks in a small business. Throughout various competition rounds, CyberPatriot teams engage with a range of virtual operating systems, identifying and resolving cybersecurity vulnerabilities while ensuring the network remains operational.
Laura L. Ellington, an adult squadron member, supported the four cadets: Cadet Col. Cynthia Liu, Cadet Capt. Prithika Chauhan, Cadet Senior Master Sgt. Victoria Ball, and Cadet Tech. Sgt. Vincent Lovell Lujan. Two coaches, John R. Nash and Elio Grieco, assisted Ellington. Each cadet focused on specific areas to streamline the competition, from securing Windows and Linux computers to virtual networks. Through a collaboration with Gateway Community College and Technology Education Collaborative, the cadets trained on state-of-the-art computers at their Advanced Cyber Systems Lab. The final competition was at the University of Advancing Technology.
CyberPatriot equips students to protect themselves on the Internet and teaches students skills that can be used in college and the workforce.
About Civil Air Patrol
Founded in 1941 and established as the official civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force seven years later, Civil Air Patrol is chartered by Congress as a nonprofit organization for the purposes of youth development, aerospace education, and to promote general aviation. In an auxiliary role as a Total Force partner of the Air Force, CAP operates the world’s largest fleet of single-engine aircraft for search and rescue, disaster relief, training, and education. Civil Air Patrol is dedicated to serving America’s communities, saving lives, and shaping futures.
Visit CAP.news or GoCivilAirPatrol.com for more information.
To learn more at the Cybersecurity options at GateWay Community College, visit https://www.gatewaycc.edu/degrees-certificates/networking-and-security.