San Diego City College student determined to succeed in male-dominated field – City Times

San Diego City College student determined to succeed in male-dominated field – City Times

https://sdcitytimes.com/campus-life/2026/04/01/city-college-brenda-nguyen-cybersecurity/

Publish Date: 2026-04-01 23:19:00

Source Domain: sdcitytimes.com

San Diego City College student Brenda Nguyen may not yet be ready for a full-time job, but at a recent professional conference, she walked through the career fair anyway.

The cyber defense and analysis student in City’s baccalaureate program connected with recruiters and learned what companies look for when hiring.

One takeaway? The majority of jobs in the field aren’t actually posted online, Brenda said.

“It is up to us to make connections and demonstrate our skills to professionals,” Nguyen said. “It is not enough to blindly send out resumes and hope one lands.”

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City College is helping women in cybersecurity translate classroom skills into professional careers, reinforcing its commitment to diversity and social justice in the male-dominated field.

Part of that includes opportunities like Nguyen had, which came at the Women in CyberSecurity Conference in Washington, D.C. earlier this month.

“It was very insightful and inspiring,” Nguyen said. “They create a warm and welcome environment for students, researchers and professionals. Everyone has their place there.”

Nguyen received scholarships from WICYS and Microsoft, which covered her lodging, meals and travel expenses for the conference, where more than 2,000 professionals gathered.

Attendees gather for a session at the WiCyS 2026 conference in Washington D.C., March 11-13, 2026. Among the more than 2,000 participants were students from San Diego City College, part of a national effort to empower women and encourage them to pursue careers in cybersecurity. Photo courtesy of Brenda Nguyen

WICYS, a nonprofit founded in 2014, focuses on advancing women in cybersecurity. This year’s program emphasized artificial intelligence integration, with sessions on technical skills, career development and mentorship.

The organization’s efforts come as the cybersecurity industry continues to grapple with a significant gender imbalance, with women…

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