Kevin Kinyua graduated from Villanova University with a Master’s degree in Cyber Security. Prior to his studies at Villanova, Kevin received his Bachelor’s degree from Mercyhurst University in 2019 where he double majored in Accounting and Computer Systems, and had an Economics minor.
While in school, Kevin connected with a recruiter from Linode at a Campus Philly Career Event, and had the opportunity to start an internship at the company shortly after! That internship position led to his current role working at Thomas Jefferson University full time. Keep reading to hear Kevin’s story!
While you were a student at Mercyhurst University, you held many internship roles in cyber security and tech. How did these internships help you decide your career path?
During my time at Mercyhurst, having the opportunity to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom to real-world applications helped bring meaning and understanding to the type of career path I wanted to make. The most gratifying aspect of each experience was being able to look back and see how each piece of knowledge and experience was used in each role moving forward.
What made you decide to pursue a Masters Degree at Villanova University in Cyber Security, and how has this degree provided the experience and knowledge for your current role at Jefferson?
During my last semester at Mercyhurst, I was really drawn to the cybersecurity aspect of information technology. I decided to take a few electives that were geared towards cybersecurity and really enjoyed them. One of the classes I took was taught by a professor who had gotten their Masters and Ph.D. at Villanova University, also in Cybersecurity. Due to his teaching style and passion for security, I was drawn to apply to Villanova. During my time there, a lot of the information obtained from my classes and co-ops helped prepare me for my current role at Jefferson.
Tell us a little bit about your current role. Is there a typical day for you?
My current role consists of being an analyst within Jefferson’s Security Engineering team. I typically start my day with a morning standup meeting to address any pressing issues, followed by a few meetings to go over vulnerabilities, and designing code for threat detection and monitoring.
What has been your favorite project at Jefferson, so far?
My favorite project at Jefferson has been helping one of my Team Leaders design and add to our vulnerability detection platform. Most of the project has been understanding how our internal and external assets work, and finding solutions to communicate with them.
If you could go back and give yourself ONE piece of advice while in college, what would it be?
A piece of advice I’d give myself while in college would be to never stop dreaming and to always try new opportunities when they are presented. Being able to adapt to any situation comes by taking risks, and being comfortable with being uncomfortable.
What’s your favorite part about working in the tech industry in Philadelphia?
One of my favorite parts about working in the tech industry is the opportunity for growth and innovation. Due to Philadelphia’s size, it’s pretty awesome to have different work opportunities scattered throughout the city and King of Prussia. It’s pretty neat to see some of the similarities and differences for each company involved in tech.
To learn more about a career at Jefferson University, check out their website! To connect with Kevin, reach out through LinkedIn. Plus, head over to Campus Philly’s Job Board for NEW and OPEN job positions each week!
