Mission43 members receive full scholarship with SANS Institute
Mission43 has partnered with SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications, to offer Idaho’s military members, veterans, and their spouses the opportunity to gain in-demand cybersecurity skills and launch their career in just months.
Eleven Mission43 members were selected to participate in the inaugural cohort of the Cybersecurity Academy, having excelled through a competitive, multi-phase application process. Over the course of six months, members will earn three highly sought after GIAC certifications. These certifications will set them up to enter Idaho’s cybersecurity workforce in areas like penetration testing, vulnerability management, cloud security, analysis, and incident response.
Join us in congratulating and welcoming this incredible group of budding cybersecurity talent!
Alex Hix
Alex is currently serving in the Idaho Air National Guard with plans to transition within the next year. He is also working on his Bachelor’s in Cybersecurity and Information Security at WGU and hopes to assist people and organizations in protecting one of their most valued resources: Information. Alex is grateful to have grown up in Idaho and is honored to continue his military service in Idaho after spending time on active duty. He is an avid mountain biker and enjoys hiking and exploring the trails with his family.
“This scholarship is important to me because it will boost my chances of a successful transition from military service to the civilian workforce. This smooth transition will enable me and my family to continue to live the life we love here in Idaho.”
Brian Moisengo
Brian is a member of the Air National Guard and has recently started working at Idaho Power as a System Administrator on the OPSNET team. He would like to use the skills he learns to be able to progress in an offensive cybersecurity role as a penetration tester. He earned a Computer Science degree from Wilmington University and has the Cisco CCNA and CompTIA Security+ certifications. Brian enjoys hiking, biking, and has recently picked up golf.
“This scholarship is important to me because the knowledge gained will better prepare me to serve and offer cyber protection to my local community.”
Corbin Jones
Corbin is a CW3 in the Idaho Army National Guard and works full time as the safety manager, with 21 years of aviation maintenance experience. He hopes to find a career in technology that is both challenging and rewarding as he transitions from the military. He is certified in FEMA and National Incident Management. Travis loves to camp and adventure in the Idaho outdoors. Lately, he has dabbled in videography and photography as hobbies.
Dylan Isaman
Dylan is a traditional Guardsmen, working full-time in a temporary position in the Air National Guard. Dylan has experience as a network technician, and has developed a fascination with cybersecurity. It is his personal goal to shift career paths and pursue a career in the offensive side of cybersecurity as a penetration tester. Dylan has earned the CompTIA Security+ and A+ certifications, and when not studying for his next achievement, can be found on the ski slopes as the guy falling down the hill.
“When I was informed that I was selected for the SANS cyber scholarship, I was ecstatic! This opportunity is important for me because I have been struggling to find that pathway on my own and I believe it will connect the dots.
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Joshua Sindorf
Joshua is a captain in the Idaho Air National Guard with the 124th Air Support Operation Squadron. Prior to serving on Active Duty orders with the Air National Guard, he was an export documentation supervisor at Ocean Network Express, which is the 6th largest container carrier fleet in the world. In addition to earning GIAC certifications, Joshua hopes to continue his education by earning a Master’s of Science in Cyber Operations and Resilience at Boise State University and go on to work in the logistics or defense industry as a cybersecurity professional. He has a Bachelor’s of Science in Logistics and Intermodal Transportation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking, skiing, camping, and crossfit.
Kenny Ha
Kenny is currently serving in the Army Reserves. He went through the ROTC program at UCLA and was commissioned as an Army officer. In his civilian career, he is a service desk agent at Leidos, who provides a secure IT platform for more than 650,000 sailors and civilians across 1,700 locations worldwide. Kenny has a BA in Liberal Studies from the Master’s University in Santa Clarita, CA. Kenny also holds a CompTIA Security+ certification. He enjoys hiking in the Boise foothills and spending his weekends in McCall and Redfish Lake.
Kristy Hurt
Kristy is a traditional Guardsman in the Idaho Air National Guard and is currently a dental hygienist at Lowry Dental. Along with earning certifications through the Mission43 Cybersecurity Academy, Kristy wants to pursue a Bachelor’s in cybersecurity to be able to successfully transition into a career in the cybersecurity industry. Kristy has an Associate of Arts as well as an Associate of Applied Science from Carrington College and has earned the CompTIA Security+ certification. She enjoys hiking and paddle boarding with her dogs and exploring Idaho hot springs, camping, and all things outdoors!
“Pursuing these certifications without this scholarship would not have been possible. I appreciate the magnitude of this opportunity and the impact it will have on the progress toward my professional goals.”
Matt Van Ronzelen
Matt was a prior intelligence analyst in the Army National Guard with experience in the residential mortgage industry. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s from the University of Missouri, holds a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and is a Certified ScrumMaster (CSM). Matt excels in staff training, development, process improvement, and strategic growth. He is looking forward to applying those skills in the technology industry as he transitions into a cybersecurity career.
Morgan Gill
Morgan is an Army veteran and currently works as a telecommunications specialist for the Bureau of Land Management at the National Radio Operations Section in Boise. His future goals are to help respond to, recover from, and protect against cyber attacks on our radio network. Morgan has an NSE Associate 3 certification from FortiNet and has the CompTIA Security+ certification. He enjoys taking his family on awesome adventures in this beautiful state and playing hockey.
“This scholarship is important to me because I will use the skills I learn in practical application to ensure our First Responders on BLM land have the most robust network available to them.”
Taylor Young
Taylor serves in the Air National Guard with the 124th Security Forces Squadron and has previous experience in IT technical analysis. He hopes to find a position as either a SOC analyst, incident response specialist, or threat hunter. Taylor has an Associate Degree in Criminal Justice from the Community College of the Air Force, a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Boise State University, and the CompTIA Security+ certification. In his off-time, he can be found camping with his family and experiencing the Idaho outdoors.
Travis Mayer
Travis served four years on Active Duty in the United States Marine Corps as a satellite communications operator and maintainer. He currently works at the National Weather Service office in Boise as an electronic systems analyst, taking care of the electronic and IT systems including Doppler radar, weather balloon trackers, and airport weather stations. He has an Associate Degree from ITT Tech and hopes to be able to secure Federal networks and protect them from Nation-State hackers. When not working, he loves running and biking on the greenbelt and trails in the Treasure Valley. He spends time in the summer camping, backpacking, and riding ATVs with his family.
Find out more
Mission43 Cybersecurity Academy scholars will be seeking employment or advancement opportunities as they gain new skills to protect and defend Idaho’s cyber landscape. If you’re an employer that would like to offer an internship or position, or if you would like to find out more about the Academy, reach out using the form below.