When people imagine cybersecurity, they tend to think about hackers, exploits, and high-tech tools. What they don’t picture is a help desk ticket that starts with, “I clicked something I probably shouldn’t have.”
Working at the University of Tampa’s IT Help Desk has been one of the most influential experiences of my undergraduate career. It’s where I learned that cybersecurity doesn’t start with firewalls, it starts with users.
On any given day, I have supported students, faculty, and staff with account access issues, MFA problems, device troubleshooting, and security-related incidents. Over time, patterns became obvious. Phishing emails weren’t abstract examples from a lecture; they were active threats showing up in inboxes across campus. Misconfigurations, reused passwords, and small mistakes were often the root cause of bigger problems.
This role reshaped how I think about security. Technical controls matter, but usability and awareness matter just as much. I have learned how to communicate technical issues to non-technical users, de-escalate frustration, and explain why security measures exist, not just enforce them.
The help desk also taught me accountability. When someone’s access is broken or their device isn’t working, it directly impacts their ability to do their job or succeed academically. That responsibility forced me to be precise, patient, and thorough.
Looking back, the help desk hasn’t just introduced me to IT, it grounded me in the human side of cybersecurity. It showed me where vulnerabilities really begin and why security is ultimately about people, not just systems.
I strongly believe that anyone pursuing a career in cybersecurity should start at the help desk. It’s the best way to truly understand users, Tier 1 issues, and where security problems actually originate. You learn how systems fail, how people interact with technology, and why security controls have to balance protection with usability. From that foundation, everything else builds naturally.
I look forward to continuing my role at the help desk through the end of this semester and throughout the remainder of my time at the University of Tampa, applying what I’ve learned while continuing to grow both technically and professionally.