Becky Borrebach Hits Her Stride in a Year of Big Personal Changes
Becky Borrebach has the distinction of being one of the first three women to graduate from the Online Master of Science in Cybersecurity degree program at Georgia Tech. With her new degree and an upcoming new job (she’s headed to the Pentagon), Becky is enjoying the moment.
Previously stationed in Georgia, the U.S. Army captain remembers the first and only time she visited Tech’s campus. She and her husband Drew, a fellow Army officer, were stationed clear across the state from one another – Drew at Fort Benning in Columbus and Becky at Fort Gordon in Augusta – and had to make long weekend drives to see each other.
Becky jokes that the long Friday rush-hour road trips were like her own personal “Highway 20 Ride,” a somber country song by the Zac Brown Band. The couple eventually decided for a change of scenery and started weekend getaways to Atlanta every other weekend. They would meet in the middle – talking on the phone all the way – and then turn into tourists, visiting all the sites the city had to offer. After Becky got accepted to Georgia Tech, she added a new tourist destination to her list.
That solitary trip was during a summer, when campus is slow, and she got to loiter and hang out for a few hours. She bought everything she thought she’d need at the campus bookstore before heading out to her current duty station in Hawaii. The Georgia Tech ballcap she bought is now primarily sported by Drew, who often wears it to show off how proud he is of Becky.
On Becky’s bucket list is watching a football game at Bobby Dodd. With the Pentagon only a few hours away and her practiced road trip skills, we hope to see her soon. – JP
IN HER OWN WORDS:
Program highlights: The highlight of the Georgia Tech OMS Cybersecurity program has been the ability to continue my full time job in the military while completing the program. The flexibility of the program has allowed me to travel overseas for work, attend a three-week training exercise in Louisiana with limited connectivity, and complete my coursework from the beautiful state of Hawaii, a six-hour time difference from Georgia Tech. In addition to this, the program is constantly evolving and adding new relevant curriculum. I feel that I have been able to stay on the cutting edge of the cybersecurity field with the courses offered.
Parting Advice: Don’t be afraid to get outside of your comfort zone! The program offers multiple different tracks and each student is able to take electives outside of their selected track. I selected the Policy track and was hesitant to take the Data Analytics and Security class due to its very technical nature. I took a chance, enrolled myself in the course, and it ended up being one of my favorite courses in the program. Challenge yourself – you will not regret it!
What’s Next: Up next, I will be moving with my family to the National Capitol Region to work at the Pentagon on the U.S. Army’s new human resources system. I am excited to take what I have learned throughout my time at Georgia Tech and continue to apply it to my work!
