Class of 2025: Faith Jones pursues a career in cybersecurity

Name: Faith Jones

College: Pamplin College of Business

Major/minor: Cybersecurity management and analytics

Hometown: Broadway, Virginia

Plans after graduation: Working at Program Executive Office Enterprise, a U.S. Army Program Executive Office, which provides and manages business systems, data analytics, software applications, and information technology services that the U.S. Army needs to operate every day.

Favorite Hokie memory: Getting to meet and learn from students with different backgrounds, travel, and gain hands-on experience in her field through the Defense Civilian Training Corps (DCTC) program.

Launched in the fall of 2023, the Defense Civilian Training Corps is an interdisciplinary program designed to attract students like Jones with an interest in national defense careers related to acquisition, digital technologies, critical technologies, science, engineering, and finance. 

Jones knew coming into Virginia Tech that she was interested in cybersecurity, but also that she wanted to emulate Virginia Tech’s motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), in her life. According to her mentors, Jones has achieved that and set a strong example for her classmates.

“Faith embodies the Ut Prosim spirit and brings unbridled enthusiasm and keen intellect into the classroom. But most importantly, she is a peer leader. We’re all better for having the opportunity to work with Faith,” said Greg Lowe, director of the Defense Civilian Training Corps at Virginia Tech.

Motivated by a mission

Jones’ interest in cybersecurity was sparked at an early age when her uncle, who served in the Navy and later worked in a civilian role in the government, helped her build her first computer. He also taught her the impact government service can have.

“I saw him working for a bigger purpose than just himself,” Jones said. “Hearing him talk about what he did was just fascinating to me. So that guided my decision to do this because I'm a person that is motivated by a mission, not just working for myself.”

Service-oriented scholarship

Like many students, Jones was paying for college on her own and finding it difficult to balance.

“Having to keep up with classes and work a job and think about loans, all while also trying to make friends and figure out what you want to do with your life, is a lot to balance,” Jones said.

Again, Jones’ passion for service, intellect, and strong work ethic helped her overcome a potential roadblock as she was able to translate that trio of qualities into a scholarship. 

“When I saw the call for applications for DCTC, it was a too-good-to-be-true moment,” Jones said. “I couldn’t believe I had found a program that was going to pay my tuition and set me up for the kind of jobs I already wanted.”

Co-led by the Hume Center for National Security and Technology, part of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets, the program provides students with full tuition and fees, a $2,000 monthly stipend, and internship and job placement opportunities within the Department of Defense.

“DCTC helped me put the pieces together between the topics I was already interested in and the job opportunities that would allow me to explore my interests and work toward a greater purpose,” Jones said.

Connections are key

Jones said her time at Virginia Tech was improved by getting to spend time and become friends with students that were different from her, including studentsin the Defense Civilian Training Corps who are in different majors and have had different life experiences.

“Because we have all these different perspectives in one room, someone is always going to bring up a great point that I maybe never would have thought of,” Jones said. 

Through the program Jones was placed in a summer internship at Program Executive Office - Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors in Maryland. There she was able to gain valuable hands-on experience and make connections in her field. 

Jones found out about the role she’ll be starting as a member of the cybersecurity team at Program Executive Office Enterprise after graduation and the team members from the internship were able to help her get her foot in the door.