MONACA, Pa. — For Penn State Beaver alumna Ava-Li Baker, a small campus, big opportunities and real connections with professors helped transform her choice to stay close to home into a rewarding cybersecurity career.
Baker, who graduated in 2022 with a degree in information technology, is a cybersecurity analyst for the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
The Hopewell Area High School graduate said she wanted to stay close to home, and when she took a tour of the Beaver campus, she liked the more intimate feel of a small campus and knew that “Penn State had a great IT program.”
“My experience there was great,” she said, adding that even through the COVID-19 lockdown, she didn’t feel like the pivot to online learning affected her education. “It was interesting to transition to virtual classes, and when we came back, I was still connected to my classmates and remembered people from Zoom classes.”
Baker said she was trying to decide between information technology or studying drafting at a technical school. She said her mom always thought she was good with computers, so she decided to go that route.
“I like to work with computers and figure out how to do things with computers. What can I do? What can I make? she said. “The degree in information technology appealed to me because it was broad. The world was my oyster. I could do anything with it.”
Baker added a minor in security and risk analysis and applied for an information technology internship with the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory a year in advance because of the clearance process necessary to work there.
“I did my internship during the summer of 2021, and then they offered me a chance to return for the next summer in cybersecurity,” she said. “My manager from the previous summer had moved to cybersecurity, so she took me with her. … They offered me a job at the end of the summer.”
Baker said she worked part time as she finished her degree and then moved into her full-time role after graduation.
She currently works in one of the lab’s cybersecurity subdivisions focused on physical security.
“It’s not the cool cybersecurity you see in the movies,” Baker said. “What I do a lot is help people and help people understand what cybersecurity is. I support our overall company and work with engineers who are doing all of the nuclear naval stuff.”
Baker said the connection between information technology and cybersecurity is critical. “IT needs to understand cybersecurity, and cybersecurity needs to understand IT. I’m always learning,” she said.
Ashu Kumar, assistant teaching professor of information technology, was one of Baker’s professors.
“Ava-Li was an exceptional student who embraced every opportunity to learn, lead and gain real-world experience. In addition to taking on leadership roles in projects, she served as a peer educator and teaching assistant, building a strong portfolio of skills and experiences,” Kumar said. “Her hard work and dedication culminated in a successful internship that led to a full-time job offer, demonstrating the value of a Penn State Beaver IT degree in launching a successful career.”
Baker said Penn State Beaver prepared her for her career.
“I saw plans of action and milestones in a textbook and thought, ‘Who would use this in real life?’ During my second week of work I learned they use those all the time,” she said. “I use things from my classes every day. I had so many good experiences from Penn State that helped me.”
It wasn’t just the information technology and cybersecurity classes that helped Baker. She said classes like speech with Dan Pinchot, who is now the senior director for enrollment management for southwestern Pennsylvania, helped her prepare for giving presentations at work, and working in Academic Affairs under now-Chancellor Carey McDougall helped her build confidence in a more formal work setting.
She also cited on-campus networking events and alumni speakers as a source of inspiration. “They made me want to work hard to be where they were at the time,” she said, adding that she now comes back to campus as an alumna to speak to current students.
Baker is currently pursuing a master’s degree in cybersecurity analytics and operations through Penn State World Campus.
