“From Computer Ethusiast to Cloud Security Professional”
Gloria Rotich
My name is Gloria Rotich and I am a recent first-class honours graduate from Strathmore University in Kenya, studying computer science. I fell in love with computers in high school, and then, I took a short course before starting my Computer Science degree and was hooked. This course exposed me to cybersecurity. We found street cameras’ IP addresses and could see the footage they were recording on a random street in Europe. It felt like a movie; I wanted that to be my life.
I found out about the CyberGirls Fellowship in 2021 when I was sent the application link by a mentor, but I wasn’t keen on it yet. I followed CyberSafe Foundation’s socials and throughout 2022, I saw what the program had to offer. I was finally convinced, so I applied for the CyberGirls Fellowship 3.0 cohort.
Through the CyberGirls program I solidified my foundational security concepts on networking, defense, identity, and access management. The soft skills training armed me with behavioral skills to self-evaluate and understand how to represent myself as a brand and package my skills.
One of the toughest moments for me was when I had to take my Azure Fundamentals certificate exam on the same day as my undergraduate graduation. I’d planned to do it earlier but faced technical glitches, forcing a retake on the big day. Finally passing the exam was such a huge relief—I couldn’t have been happier!
The group project was my favorite part of the program as I met ladies who inspired me, collaborated with them, and finally became sisters. The projects helped solidify my practical skills in cloud security. The cherry on the cake was my mentor, Swetha, who always took the time to motivate us on how to apply to join global women’s networks as well as advise us on acing job interviews.
Life after has been exciting. Currently, I work as a Cybersecurity sales intern at DataGroupIT. This experience has been nothing short of learning, re-learning, and unlearning. I get to apply concepts I learned in the program so I’m excited for what more I’ll get to take on in the future.
