Lance Gillingham Memorial Scholarship

If someone had told eight-year-old me that one day he would become a combat medic serving in the best Naval forces in the world, he would probably respond with complete disbelief. That is me. I spent almost 8 years as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, with approximately a third of that time serving with the Marine Corps as their organic infantry line medical personnel. "The grunts" was what we were often collectively referred to by outsiders as well as by ourselves as a small point of pride. The Navy side of the house has taught me valuable lessons that I still carry and use to this day, such as leadership, long- termed planning, networking, mentoring, etc. The Marines taught me perhaps the most important lessons of all. Even when things seem calm, a moment of complacency can completely change someone's life. There is wisdom in even the most mundane of things. Hard work always pays off in the end. And last but not least: Attention to detail can mean the difference between a mission won or a catastrophe. I desire to bring these lessons, skills, and experience to bear in the Tech field, especially the cybersecurity field, which I am passionate about to create real impacts in defending our nation. We are paddling through rapid water today with the dawn of Artificial Intelligence, the significance of which is reminiscent of the type of gravity caused by the proliferation of the commercial internet in the 90s. The only difference this time is that we are still not completely sure how big or impactful the implications are of this revolutionary technology, both in good and bad ways. It is my sincere belief that these simultaneously exciting and unnerving times demand the type of mentality, experience, and discipline that I possess, which can still be further strengthened by the education that I seek. My biggest dream is to become a founder and executive of a cutting-edge tech firm that creates real products with lasting profound impact, not serving just the US population but also developing nations whose citizens may not enjoy the same level of access and privileges. Not only do I want my company to lead the charge in pioneering new tech products, my background as an educator and training manager in the Navy inspires me to make a goal of leading change in mindsets, lifestyles, and cultures around tech, tech literacy and tech security as well. It takes people to create true long-lasting changes in the world and so progress should begin with people. Towards that lofty goal, I am currently working towards a Bachelor of Science in Business and want to complete micro-credentials as a means to further supplement, strengthen, and solidify my understanding of techs. Not only do I want to have a deeper understanding of cybersecurity, but I also want to have a firm grasp on cloud technologies and much more. To be an impactful visionary, leader, and entrepreneur, I need to both deepen and broaden my pool of knowledge and skills. To this end, your esteemed scholarship will support me tremendously and help me take wider strides to quickly achieve my goals.