Menu
Northwest Early College High School Grads Honored by National Cyber Scholarship Foundation
NWECHS Grads Among Top Cybersecurity Students in the Region
Posted on 06/06/2022
This is the image for the news article titled NWECHS Grads Among Top Cybersecurity Students in the RegionThe future of cybersecurity in the country may very well be in the hands of two 2022 Northwest Early College High School graduates.

Sophia Montenegro and Christian Dees, who last month received their diplomas from NWECHS, were recently recognized by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation for their outstanding achievement and proficiency in cybersecurity. Only five students in the region received such recognition.

Montenegro was named a finalist and Dees a scholar by the NCSF for their performance in a challenging online cybersecurity training program. Both are pursuing careers in cybersecurity at college.

“The NCSF recognizes high school students who have demonstrated exceptional cybersecurity prowess and who wish to pursue a career in a growing field in critical need of their talent,” said foundation executive director David Brown. “The NCSF mission is to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. Each student who participated in this competition
Has the potential to develop their skills and build a successful career in cybersecurity.”

In recognition of their achievement, the pair earned an invitation to participate in the Cyber Foundations Academy, a multi-week online program based on the nationally recognized SANS Foundations training course and certification valued at more than $3,000.

NCSF is a national nonprofit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. The foundation aims to support the entry of thousands of talented students into the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world class training and scholarships to fund further study.

“I am very proud of our students for placing as a finalist and scholar in the National Cyber Scholarship Competition,” said Catherine Tabor, computer science teacher at NWECHS. “They have shown a great deal of promise in this field and with continued education and training, they have the potential to grow even further to gain successful careers in cybersecurity after college.”