Competitions and passions drive Vongkasemsiri

October 9, 2024

Whether she's on the volleyball court, participating in an international cybersecurity competition, or running the club she created, Gwen Vongkasemsiri loves competitions.

"I have a very competitive nature," she said. Growing up in Tennessee, Vongkasemsiri never really knew anyone interested in cybersecurity, so when she arrived at DSU as a freshman in 2022 she was thrilled to meet others just as passionate as herself.

"I fell in love with the community immediately and I felt right at home here from the beginning," she said.

A senior cyber operations and network & security administration double major, Vongkasemsiri chose to attend DSU after analyzing a list of schools across the U.S. that have excellent cybersecurity programs. Dakota State, being one of the few schools to have all three NSA Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) cybersecurity designations, impressed her.

"I love DSU's cyber focus and technology mission," Vongkasemsiri said. "My life and career align exactly with my university's mission. I want to help secure the world through cyber."

Once she arrived on campus, she wasted no time getting involved. She is a volleyball player (middle blocker), is on the student senate, and is involved in several clubs. She is a member of the Newman Club and the CybHER® Club for women in cybersecurity, and she also created a new one --the Capture the Flag (CTF) Club, which is part of Computer Club.

"CTF Club originally started as a group of friends practicing for CTF competitions," she said.

It is open to all students and focuses on jeopardy style CTFs, where participants capture a virtual flag by solving a cybersecurity challenge.

"It's very beginner friendly," she added. "We want to help sophomores get into competition. Plus, it's a great resume builder."

In addition to campus competitions, Vongkasemsiri has found ways to compete nationally and internationally in cybersecurity, earning a spot on the U.S. National Cyber Team several years in a row and on this year's inaugural U.S. Women's Cyber Team.

"I love competing in general and the opportunity to work as a team together keeps me coming back," she said.

These competitions, as well as conferences and camps have sent her crisscrossing the country and around the world. From attending competitions and conferences in Colorado, Illinois, and Maryland to Thailand and Norway for cybersecurity camps. Traveling has broadened Vongkasemsiri's education, providing opportunities to explore other cultures, while networking within the cyber field.

The cyber-intensive education she receives at DSU has helped her succeed in outside competitions and take on new challenges like internships.

After spending a summer working with Microsoft, Vongkasemsiri sees herself returning to the company as a cybersecurity program manager after she graduates in spring 2025.

"The Beacom college is really cool in general. They have all these amazing programs to help you with anything related to cyber and computer sciences," she said. "All of the professors here love what they do and that's why they're here."

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