Courtesy of Bowie State University
Junior computer technology major Stephanie Nelson will be participating in the upcoming JP Morgan Data for Good Hackathon. Nelson will travel to JP Morgan Chase’s New Jersey offices to take part in the two-day event, scheduled for April 21-22.
The hackathon is meant to highlight the positives of ethical hacking, which is when authorized users are allowed to try and access a computer systems network using the methods and tactics that malicious agents would use to gain illicit access to steal data or disrupt system functions. Ethical hacking tests the effectiveness of a company’s network security and identifies any weaknesses in the system’s defenses.
“Hackathons are beneficial to shed a more positive light on ethical hacking,” said Nelson, who will be working with a nonprofit during the event. “Hacking can be done for good reasons and to help society rather than for malicious intent.”
Nelson is excited about competing in the hackathon and sees her inclusion in the event as a culmination of the skills she has developed since joining the Bowie State’s Department of Technology and Security.
“I enrolled in Bowie State in 2020 knowing very little about technology besides what I was already exposed to with phones and computers,” she said. “I can proudly say the Department of Technology and Security has reinforced my love for technology and innovation.”
Nelson also sees the hackathon as an opportunity to add some needed diversity to the homogeneous demographics of the tech industry. She wants to be an example for other Black technologists who hope to have a career in the tech sector.
“STEM is important, especially in HBCUs due to the disproportionate representation we face in the workplace,” said Nelson. “I pride myself on being able to pave the way for those after me. We need more African American women in STEM, and I believe I can be a catalyst for that change.”
