Alumna Finds Her Path to Cybersecurity Field through the Liberal Arts

“My father started working in cybersecurity in the early 2010s, and overhearing his conversations as a youngster piqued my interest,” said Ms. McGill, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. "Just by listening to these calls, I learned cybersecurity is an expansive field.”

She eventually realized that as more cybersecurity attacks occur, the demand for professionals adept at preventing and protecting against these attacks rises. A self-described “cybersecurity enthusiast,” Ms. McGill set her sights on becoming an integral part of this industry.

Today, she is Account Manager for the New England Small to Medium Business market for Check Point Software Technologies, a leading provider of cybersecurity solutions to corporate enterprises and governments worldwide.

“My job is, essentially, listening to peoples’ problems and challenges, finding the right solution for them, and proposing that solution while maintaining fair prices and comprehensive protection,” said Ms. McGill. “Working in sales is not a career path that everyone can pursue. It can be challenging at times, but the reward of assisting people in finding the perfect solution for their needs is incredibly satisfying.”

She continued, “Cybersecurity is obviously a technical field, but there is also so much legislation that surrounds it now that you need to be well-versed in the law to be in charge of a cybersecurity division.”

While she was an undergraduate student, Ms. McGill did not focus on the types of majors, such as cybersecurity, computer science, or information technology, that one might choose in preparation for a career in a technical field such as cybersecurity. Pursuing a college degree in the liberal arts, rather than those in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields, was the perfect choice for her.

“Even though people are often scared of pursuing a liberal arts degree, I say, do it!” said Ms. McGill. “I apply the critical thinking skills  I developed from earning my liberal arts degree almost every day in my job.”

“Look at me—I’m in cybersecurity, which is an area where people will often say, ‘Oh, you need to major in information technology or computer science,’” she said. “But that’s simply not true.”

Ms. McGill believes that “a college degree of any type is what you make of it. Liberal arts degrees are flexible and you can do anything with them. I believe they are really an undervalued superpower within the university space at this moment.”

Her firm faith in the power of a liberal arts degree extends to a belief she honed during her years at St. John’s that she could rely on her instincts to get through stressful situations. “It was during the COVID-19 pandemic when I learned to trust my gut,” she said. During the Spring 2020 semester, she was studying at St. John’s campus in Rome, Italy, when the pandemic was emerging as a deadly health crisis.

“Within a few short days after I left, St. John’s sent an email advising all students that they needed to leave as quickly as possible. But I was already on my way out, and I was thankful that I had a feeling this was going to be a much worse situation than how it seemed to be at that point.”

Just a few months later, Ms. McGill faced another harrowing challenge when she was diagnosed in September 2020 with Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting and disease-fighting immune system.

She took off the Fall 2020 semester in order to undergo 12 rounds of chemotherapy. “I’m a very motivated person,” said Ms. McGill, who took extra classes in Spring 2021 and during the summer so that she could graduate on time.

“I really wanted to graduate with my friends and classmates, so I worked hard to make sure that I could walk across that stage with them in May 2022,” she said. “And I remain cancer-
free today.”