Warren County Career Center instructor selected 2020 Cybersecurity Teacher of the Year
Teach Cyber, a national nonprofit focused on cybersecurity education, has chosen WCCC Cybersecurity Instructor Diana Mark as a recipient of its annual Cybersecurity Teacher of the Year award in the category of Pathways to Cybersecurity.
Diana Mark has been working diligently for two years to build the Cybersecurity program at Warren County Career Center. Much of her focus has been on developing relationships with local businesses who provide both in-class introductions into cybersecurity jobs and serve as a network for students ready to start careers. Mark is also increasing student access to software tools that teach them about a variety of roles available to cybersecurity professionals.
Mark came to teaching after a long career in IT and cybersecurity, working for companies like Dell, Hitachi, and IBM. She spent two years as an Information technology instructor at Little Miami High School before moving to her current role as Cybersecurity instructor at WCCC when the program was just beginning. In a news release from the college, Mark explains why she decided to transition to teaching, "After having a long and successful career in Information Technology, I wanted to help students prepare for a great career in IT/Cybersecurity themselves. The best thing about being a teacher is watching students enjoy learning and being proud of their successes. The biggest challenge is recruiting females and minorities to the Cybersecurity program."
In her two years at WCCC, Mark has recruited help from dozens of local businesses and organizations that provide opportunities for her students to be involved in competitions and projects. Many of those organizations, such as Girls Who Code and TechGirlz are focused on making the IT field more inclusive of women. Mark also attends multiple conferences throughout the year to develop new relationships and connections to benefit students. Looking to the future, Mark is planning further educational enrichment by utilizing gamification software in the classroom. As she describes it, "Students will learn how to be an Ethical Hacker, Digital Forensics Specialist, Cyber Operations Manager, and many other roles through video game educational tools. These tools not only make learning fun, but it also is competitive which is important to this generation of gamers."
Marks expressed gratitude for WCCC administrators and colleagues, "Without their support, I wouldn't be where I am today. I am honored to receive this award and thank all the WCCC administration staff, the board, and my co-workers for the support they have given me."