Student Success Story: Roman Weathermon
While some channel their energy into career aspirations, many devote their time and effort into taking care of those they care for the most. Roman Weathermon came to SecureSet Academy with both goals in mind. His passion for cybersecurity threat analysis was only overshadowed by his desire to leave retail, and start spending the holidays with his family. Through immersive education in the HUNT program, Roman not only landed an incredible role as a Cyber Investigations Analyst at Kivu Consulting, Inc., but he also found a career path that has made dramatic improvements to his quality of life.
Before SecureSet
Before discovering SecureSet, Roman had no idea how to break into the cybersecurity industry. Before his time at SecureSet Academy, Roman operated in a number of managerial roles at Walmart for over a decade. Although he had become a veteran in his career path, Roman was all too aware of the downsides that came with his occupation. He knew that he couldn’t carry-on with the odd hours and lack of challenges that he was met with on a weekly-basis.
“Aside from my desire to work in incident response, I wanted to have more time with my family. Retail has you working on holidays, late nights etc. I wanted a more steady schedule so that I could have a better quality of life.”
After coming to terms with his need for a change, Roman began working towards a B.S in Information Technology Management at American Public University System. While APU provided Roman with a great base for his technical expertise, he decided that he needed a more hands-on model of curriculum if he was going to break into the cybersecurity industry.
It wasn’t until attending a cybersecurity workshop that Roman heard about SecureSet Academy. He liked what he saw on SecureSet’s website, but decided to wait before committing to an immersive program. Six months later, Roman’s wife stumbled upon an article about SecureSet. She reminded him about the Academy and made him strongly reconsider enrollment.
“I knew that I was going to need hands-on experience to work in the cybersecurity field, and SecureSet’s curriculum was just that.” — Roman Weathermon
Soon after the rediscovery, in his pursuit of a career in incident response, Roman signed up to join the Fall, 2017 HUNT Program cohort at Secureset’s Denver campus.
At SecureSet
During his time at the Academy, Roman’s IT background was a key component to his success with the intensive curriculum. Aside from his skill set, Roman also benefited from his desire for continued education.
“I was really ready to learn again; I think it’s very good for the human mind, and it rejuvenates you in a way that makes you feel young. I love challenging myself and I never want my mind to go static.”
Roman not only thrived in the HUNT Program, but he also found himself to be a leader amongst his peers. As with most HUNT cohorts, Roman’s class consisted of students from all walks of life. Although the differences amongst them were plentiful, Roman’s cohort had no problem working together.
“Surprisingly, even with all of the diversity and challenges, everybody got along well. Students were always open to helping each other with the concepts that caused others to struggle.”
While Roman was widely impressed with the knowledge-base of SecureSet instructors, it was Career Services Manager, Scott Bowman who stuck out to him the most.
“Scott always looked out for the wellbeing of the students. He worked extra time to make sure that things happened. He’d consistently reach out to help students move their careers forward.”
Scott Bowman, and other career services managers at SecureSet, are incredibly involved with student career placement. Their commitment to helping others break into the industry is just one way that SecureSet Academy stands out amongst other educational institutions. While Scott channeled his best efforts towards helping Roman achieve his career goals, it was clear to him that Roman was a man on a mission from day one.
“He’s a professional with a chip on his shoulder. He has spent the last 25+ years of his life with a blue-collar work ethic and earned his way up the corporate ladder. Roman is motivated by making his family proud and being his best self.” — Scott Bowman
Through Scott’s career assistance as well as Roman’s own determination, Roman was able to land an internship and eventually a full-time position as a Cyber Investigations Analyst at Kivu Consulting, Inc.
After SecureSet
As a Cyber Investigations Analyst, Roman enjoys being a part of cybersecurity “crime scene investigation.” After a company is breached and reaches out to Kivu Consulting, Inc. for an investigation, Roman uses his deduction skills to begin remediating the situation; this includes searching for clues to identify the attacker, as well as figuring out how to secure a recently breached network. Each day brings Roman a new set of challenges, keeping him sharp and in tune with the ever-evolving world of cybersecurity.
For those who are passionate about the world of cybersecurity, securing a career within the field can be liberating. While Roman held a steady career in retail for 25 years, he realized that doing something that he was passionate about and being with his family, outweighed his desire to keep on with “the usual.” For any aspiring cybersecurity professionals out there, let Roman be a testament to the fact that it’s never too late to make a change, and there has never been a better time to do what you love, for the ones you love.
Roman Weathermon is just one of several success stories to come out of SecureSet Academy. 90% of SecureSet’s students have landed a cybersecurity job within six months of graduation. Securing the Future becomes an achievable mission through the matchmaking of students, like Roman, and SecureSet’s distinguished employment network.
