Interdisciplinary:

As part of the Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP), I pursued an interdisciplinary experience through my internship at Xentit as a SOC Analyst Intern. This experience required me to integrate cybersecurity principles with engineering, risk assessment, and client engagement, demonstrating the application of multiple disciplines in tackling complex security challenge

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Identifying the Different Disciplines that Contribute to the Solution of a Complex Problem

My role as a SOC Analyst Intern at Xentit required me to work at the intersection of computer science, cybersecurity, and risk management to detect and mitigate potential threats. I utilized software tools such as Nessus, Trend Micro Apex Central, and Splunk to monitor client websites and applications, ensuring security compliance. Additionally, I shadowed cybersecurity engineers and professionals as they provided training to clients, learning how technical expertise and client communication work together to implement effective security solutions. This interdisciplinary approach exposed me to both the technical and strategic dimensions of cybersecurity, reinforcing the importance of collaboration across disciplines.

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Describing and Identifying Strategies for Creating Common Ground Between Different Disciplinary Perspectives

During my internship, I participated in weekly team and client meetings, where I engaged with cybersecurity professionals, engineers, and clients to discuss scanning results and response strategies. These discussions required me to translate technical findings into actionable insights, making security recommendations understandable to non-technical stakeholders. This experience enhanced my ability to bridge the gap between cybersecurity and business decision-making, demonstrating how effective communication is essential in interdisciplinary teams.

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Describing and Applying Bridging Strategies that Facilitate the Conscious Integration of Different Disciplines

A key part of my role was assisting in client training sessions, where I observed professionals teaching new clients how to use Trend Micro security products. These sessions required a combination of technical expertise, instructional strategies, and business communication to ensure clients could effectively manage their cybersecurity risks. Additionally, I contributed to security threat analysis and mitigation strategies, learning how engineers integrate data from multiple monitoring tools to create a holistic security approach. This experience strengthened my ability to synthesize knowledge from different fields, enabling me to apply engineering principles to cybersecurity risk management.

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How I Fulfilled the Interdisciplinary Requirement

By completing an interdisciplinary internship at Xentit as a SOC Analyst Intern, I successfully fulfilled the Gold Level requirement of the GCSP interdisciplinary experience. This role allowed me to work in a team that combined cybersecurity, engineering, and client communication, equipping me with the skills to analyze and integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to solve complex problems. My experience reinforced the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in real-world applications, preparing me to tackle technical and strategic challenges in both cybersecurity and engineering.