For the first time in campus history, four Penn State Brandywine students competed in the National Cyber League Competition from Nov. 7-9 and placed in the top 10 percent of teams in the competition, writes Natalie DiMario for Penn State Brandywine in Media.
Christopher Kenny, Kylie Reiner, Ben Schwartz, and Sebastian Ulloa — known as the “Brandywine Brawlers” — were the four students who represented Team Brandywine in the competition.
Their success was a result of developing the necessary skills through their coursework, entering the event well-prepared, and collaborating as an exceptional team.
With support and sponsorship from the Brandywine Technology Club, the team brought their A-game and remained focused on placing as high as possible, despite being one of the smaller teams in the event.
“The competition required students to demonstrate skills in various cybersecurity fields such as cryptography/password cracking, ethical hacking, packet analysis, log analysis, open-source intelligence (OSINT), and other areas,” said Pamela King, instructor of information sciences and technology.
These areas of IT can be extremely challenging, contributing to the competitive nature of the event. However, they are among the many topics students encounter in their coursework, positioning them as strong contenders.
On the organization’s website, a Penn State student noted, “NCL is one of the first activities where I felt like I can actually apply what I learn in my classes. The satisfaction I get from figuring out a difficult challenge is unmatched.”
