Red Education is proud and excited to announce the winners of our inaugural Women in Cybersecurity Training Scholarship 2024.
The Scholarship was launched in 2024 in response to the significant gender imbalance in the cybersecurity sector, as well as the critical shortage of skilled talent in the industry, leaving millions of unfulfilled cybersecurity roles worldwide.
These scholarships aim to highlight the gender gap and attract more women into the sector by publicising the program, as well as giving four promising women the opportunity to kick-start their careers with premium cybersecurity training.
The program provides four women with the opportunity to kickstart their cybersecurity careers through premium training in Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and Palo Alto Networks: EDU-210 Firewall Essentials – Configuration and Management.
“We were overwhelmed by the exceptional quality of applications we received,” said Mike Baird, CEO of Red Education.
“Choosing our winners was a tough job for the judges, but in the end they agreed on four very deserving recipients,” said Baird. “We are proud to support these talented women as they embark on their careers.”
Introducing the Women in Cybersecurity Training Scholarships 2024 Winners
Keza Mbabazi, Rwanda
Meet Keza from Rwanda! Keza is currently studying for a BSc in Telecommunications at Strathmore University and has a passion for cybersecurity, already having certified in Cisco Network Security and Cybersecurity Essentials. Keza has completed internships at the Bank of Kigali and Strathmore University, equipping her with hands-on knowledge in incident analysis, compliance assessments, and vulnerability assessments in cloud environments like AWS. As fluent in Kinyarwanda, French, English, and Swahili as she is with tools such as Wireshark, Splunk, and Kali Linux, we think Keza is a cybersecurity star in the making! She is looking forward to her Palo Alto Networks EDU-210 training to enhance her technical expertise as well as empower her to contribute to cybersecurity efforts globally.
Sheida Sabeti, Australia
Meet Sheida from Australia! Graduating with a BSC in Cybersecurity in 2023, Sheida has used her skills while working at the Australian Departments of Education and Health, developing educational materials and a comprehensive year-long plan to aid in information security awareness. Sheida has supported the IT community through volunteering, including teaching coding to young people on the autism spectrum and educating high school and primary school groups on cybersecurity topics. Sheida has also been selected to participate in a panel for International Women’s Day, inspiring other women with her cybersecurity journey, as well as for a Department of Health ITC training program. Sheida has won a Palo Alto Networks EDU-210 certification training scholarship.
Catherine Kim, Canada
Meet Catherine from Canada! Studying Software Engineering, Catherine noted that only 28% of course are women, with even fewer going into cybersecurity. Determined to address the issue, Catherine is passionate about making cybersecurity more accessible and comprehensible. Including working as an Advocacy Director for Women in Engineering, for Gender Minorities in Software Engineering and as the Vice President of Outreach in her Cybersecurity Club. Catherine’s achievements include being in the Top Female Team in CyberTitans of CyberPatriots in 2020 and 2021 (as well as in the top 10 overall), as well as the Top Female Competitor in CanHack of PicoCTF 2021 and 2022. Catherine has won a Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) training scholarship.
Divya Vissapragada, United States
Meet Divya from the United States! As a graduate student with a strong academic record and hands-on experience, Divya has consistently demonstrated her dedication to cybersecurity. Divya has excelled academically with a 4.0 GPA in her Masters program at Saint Louis University, where she was elected as Secretary for Women in Cyber Security Students Divya also has real-world experience implementing HIPAA regulations at Excelerate and managing information systems at American Tower Corporation. Divya is looking forward to being able to deepen her expertise through advanced training, with a strong interest in gaining more knowledge about emerging threats and advanced defense mechanisms. Divya has won a Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) training scholarship.
About the Red Education Women in Cybersecurity Training Scholarships
The Red Education Women in Cybersecurity Training Scholarships provide four scholarships for entry-level certification – two for Check Point Technologies: Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and two for Palo Alto Networks: EDU-210 Firewall Essentials – Configuration and Management. Students can complete PCNSA Certification after they have finished the EDU-210 Course or CCSA certification after completing CCSA training.
Candidates were asked to provide a summary of their tertiary education and career details and also write 200 words about why they would be a deserving recipient of this scholarship.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Leaders
Red Education is committed to addressing the gender gap in cybersecurity and creating a more inclusive industry. By offering these scholarships, we hope to inspire more women to pursue careers in this vital field.
“Cybersecurity is in desperate need of talented women,” said Mike Baird. “We encourage women with a passion for technology to consider this exciting and rewarding career path.
I would like to thank every single candidate who entered for this year’s scholarships and to add my personal congratulations to our four fantastic winners. I would also like to thank Check Point Software Technologies and Palo Alto Networks for their support.”
The Red Education Women in Cybersecurity Training Scholarships will be offered annually, with applications opening on April 1 and closing on June 30 each year.
