Muhlenberg athletes are spending the summer of 2026 enjoying fantastic experiences on campus, in their hometowns, across the country, and even around the world.

Rising senior football player Mick O'Malley, a computer science major, shared his passion for cybersecurity with high school students in a summer course at MIT.

This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant for the Cyber Operations course at the MIT Beaver Works Summer Institute (BWSI). This is a program that brings high school students from across the country to learn about cybersecurity through hands-on labs.

I worked with the students as they learned topics like Linux, networking, web security, IoT security, and penetration testing.

I chose this role because it allows me to help start other students' journeys in cybersecurity and share my knowledge of the subject. I enjoyed watching students work through challenges and gain confidence in their abilities.

This position offered a wide variety of responsibilities that will help my career, from designing challenges to helping students set their systems up. Every day offered a different experience that allowed me to strengthen my technical skills as well as my ability to explain complex concepts.

My coursework at Muhlenberg played a major role in my preparation for this position. Classes in computer science gave me a foundation that I could build on, while my research at the school last year helped me develop problem-solving skills. During my application process, I was required to put down references and I was happy to list Dr. Proyash Podder and Dr. Hamed Yaghoobian as people I have worked closely with.

This experience has reinforced my desire to pursue a career in cybersecurity after graduation. Working alongside incredibly talented people at MIT as well as truly gifted students allowed me to build skills that will benefit me throughout my career. I am grateful to Muhlenberg for providing me with the education, research opportunity, and mentorship that prepared me for this role.