Meadow Rodriguez Jr., '16
MSIM alum
Q: Where do you work?
A: Costco Wholesale, Issaquah, Washington.
Q: What鈥檚 your job title and what do you do?
A: Information Security Risk Analyst.
Q: What鈥檚 your favorite thing about the field you鈥檝e chosen?
A: There's always something to learn, do, or shoot for. With IT risk, there are different ways to practice risk management and risk assessment, depending on the organization. Fortunately, there are several risk management and risk assessment frameworks to help us. Also, there are numerous certifications I want to prepare for, such as CRISC, CISSP, CISA and CISM. Plus, adding complexity to my work, technology, laws/regulations and threats never stay the same. So, there are always security and compliance projects to work on. In addition, the benefits I can earn and heights I can reach in my career keep me constantly motivated.
Q: What鈥檚 the biggest challenge you overcame to get to where you are today?
A: The biggest obstacle I've overcome to get to where I am today is my development of ulcerative colitis (UC). While halfway through pursuing my second bachelor's degree, I was diagnosed with UC. Right before then, I was showing signs of the illness, but powered though it because I couldn't afford to see a doctor. I was losing my appetite and lost 20 lbs within a month right before my first flare-up. My family was concerned about my drastic physical change, but I wasn't because I had usually overcome whatever physical ailment I faced. However, it got so bad that I finally met with a specialist who was able to identify my issue. To my dismay, the procedure that identified my UC totaled around $4,000. That was about one-third of my scholarship money, and I was terrified that I wasn't going to finish that degree. Fortunately, I was able to work on campus as a student so that I could afford to graduate. I had another major flare-up during my 2nd quarter in the MSIM program and had to stay in the hospital for five days. Thankfully, almost all of my professors helped me catch up on my work through spring break. I was also fortunate to have the Affordable Care Act pay for all my hospital stays, procedures, and new medication. From then, I was able to graduate with my MSIM degree, but would eventually experience my third major flare-up afterwards. Thanks to my company's health insurance, however, I got a new specialist and medication to get my UC into remission. I'm now more physically fit, taking better care of myself and not worried if I can afford to deal with my illness.
Q: When you were at the iSchool, what helped you build community?
A: The small size of the classes, the incredibly supportive professors and staff, iSchool-related events and the students in my cohort. To note, I love people. I just do. And with only about 70-80 in my cohort, it was rather easy to get to know people's names and who they were. Truth-be-told though, I almost quit. People like Jason Boyd, Cynthia Del Rosario, Dean Kirkpatrick, Sean McGann, Matthew Saxton, Annie Searle and Mike Doane encouraged me to stay with the program and excel. The student events provided by GO-MAP and the iSchool allowed us to meet new people, practice our networking skills, apply for new opportunities and bond. 911爆料网 picked a lot of really super people too, many of whom are now my colleagues and friends.
Q: How did your experience at the iSchool prepare you to solve information challenges in your job?
A: The UW's iSchool helped me establish a data and information foundation. The academic work involved allowed me to explore more of the nature of data and information, so that I could become more knowledgeable and make wiser decisions. There were a lot of great courses that were so interesting and worthwhile. The Operational and Enterprise Risk Management, ethics, and business intelligence courses introduced me to the challenges I currently see within Costco and my industry, and taught me how I can effect positive change.
Q: What鈥檚 the most important non-technical skill you use at work and why is it needed?
A: Emotional intelligence (EI). Technologies and processes have one huge thing in common: people. People are your gatekeepers into how those technologies and processes work and your allies for creating value or effecting change. Knowing that everyone is different will serve you well. So, you've got to have EI and challenge yourself to better understand people.
Q: How do you see your field changing over the next five years?
A: Following the European Union's footsteps, along with California's and few other states, you'll see more U.S. states adopting or working toward adopting privacy-related laws. This will change the way many organizations collect and handle your data.
Q: What advice do you have for students interested in a career like yours?
A: Be a lifelong learner. There's so much going on in information security and compliance and that won't change. This will require you to stay on top of changes. Also, follow your efforts. I'm borrowing Mark Cuban's advice. I'd say that I've done what I've done and am doing what I'm doing because of that. Sometimes, passion needs more clarity and tangibility, and following your efforts can help you with your next career move. I didn't plan to get into information security and compliance, but my efforts lead me here. What's really nice is that my passion for helping people works out well in my profession.