Sussex Academy students honored for cybersecurity achievement

For their performance in a challenging online cybersecurity training program, Sussex Academy senior Emily Musgrove, and juniors Alex Boswell and Kinsey Bellerose have earned Scholars recognition from the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation.

Each student 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.

Musgrove, Boswell and Bellerose competed for top scores against thousands of high school students across the nation by solving real-world cybersecurity problems. More than 45,000 students nationwide sought to qualify for a National Cyber Scholarship, and fewer than 2.5% reach Scholar status. Sussex Academy students earned three of the nine Scholar honors awarded to Delaware high school students.

“I am very proud of our students’ performance in the National Cyber Scholarship Competition,” said Tim Elmer, Sussex Academy STEM teacher. "They worked hard to complete the challenges and earned the opportunity to further their skills in the summer SANS course."

“The National Cyber Scholarship Foundation 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 David Brown, National Cyber Scholarship Foundation executive director. “The NCSF mission is to identify and develop the next generation of cyber professionals. Each and every student who participated in this competition has the potential to develop their skills and build a successful career in cybersecurity.”

There are several qualification pathways to gain a National Cyber Scholarship, including CyberStart America, a free online program that helps students discover their interest in cybersecurity, and develop their talents and skills. The NCSF offers $5 million in scholarships to top-ranking competitors. The top 1,000 highest-scoring eligible CyberStart players will become National Cyber Scholars and will be invited to participate in the Cyber Foundations Academy. To learn more, go to nationalcyberscholarship.org.