Y’all I have some amazing news to share!

I will be attending Black Hat 2025 and DEF CON 33! And even better is that I will be volunteering for both! This has been a big dream come true and this really wouldn’t have been possible without a network connection I made in 2023.

As long as I can remember I have been shy and introverted, and honestly I tried my best to avoid conversations.

I have attended two WiCyS conferences, and it wasn’t until the second one that I stepped a little out of my shell and actually conversed (as opposed to staying in the hotel room which I did the year before).

That small change made a big difference.

All I did was ask someone for their LinkedIn. That network connection followed up with me later and even invited me to compete in the Department of Energy’s CyberForce competition (2024) which you can read a bit about it on this LinkedIn post.

We’ve stayed in touch, and about a month ago they sent me an application for the CCA5 cohort (the reason I will be volunteering at these two big security conferences). I applied the next day, went through the application process, and then got accepted. And not only did she share this opportunity with me but she had also put in a good word for me to the instructor.

I’m sharing this with you because I want to give you hope, especially if you’re introverted like me. That small act you make can open many doors of opportunity for you.

I’m still working on pushing through my shyness, meeting new people, and putting myself out there. But this experience has shown me that the effort is so worth it.

Who knows what can come in the future if you just keep trying.

Peace out until next time 👽🖖.