The first celebration of Veterans Day occurred in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1947, but it wasn’t officially recognized as a national holiday until 1954. Today, we continue to celebrate our veterans annually on November 11 with ceremonies, parades and gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
This Veteran’s Day, Davenport University is proud to highlight two of its finest, both of whom are working to earn cybersecurity degrees.
Joey Krick is on track to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in Cyber Defense with a concentration in Information Assurance.
Before becoming a student at Davenport, he served in the Army National Guard for 5 1/2 years. He enlisted in the Army for several reasons, but continuing the family tradition was his primary motivation. Military service runs deep in his family – his mom and dad met while in the Navy, and his aunt also served in the Army.
During his time with the National Guard, he served as a military police officer and later became a Squad Designated Marksman (SDM), specializing in numerous weapon systems. He also trained his platoon in hand-to-hand combat for the last two years of his military career.
His military obligations have interrupted his studies at Davenport on more than one occasion, and Krick says he greatly appreciates the university’s support.
“While attending Davenport, the National Guard called me to active duty several times, and my professors were very understanding,” said Krick. “They were very accommodating and gave me additional time to complete assignments, which was a great relief. Thanks to their support, I’m graduating on time.”
Krick is proud of his military service and looks forward to the next chapter in his life as a cybersecurity professional.
“I find that protecting an organization’s interests from malicious users inside and outside the company is very similar to the military and how we are taught to fight against all threats, foreign and domestic,” said Krick.
He currently works at Berry Dunn in Portland, Maine, as an IT and security specialist, where he audits his clients’ IT infrastructure and controls. He hopes to one day own a cybersecurity consulting firm.
Fellow cybersecurity major Noah Steere hopes to graduate in 2025 with a bachelor’s in Cyber Defense and Information Security.
Steere served in the Army for six years and enlisted primarily because of the tragic events of 911.
“I watched the 9/11 TV coverage from my 6th or 7th grade locker room,” said Steere. “That day never left me, and I think it gave me the motivation to want to do something about it.”
That motivation led Steere to deployments in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait, where he specialized in unmanned aviation (drones).
Steere says it was an honor to serve in the Army and give back to his country, but his focus is now on earning his cybersecurity degree.
“I live to help people and see working in cybersecurity as a way for me to do that,” said Steere. “It’s my new mission!”
Steere currently works for Davenport as an information technology services coordinator for the Lansing and Midland campuses but has his sights set on being a freelance penetration tester for large companies around the world.
“I would like to teach at the collegiate level one day, so getting my master’s degree is on the to-do list for sure,” said Steere. “I have always loved explaining tough things to people and like to see the brain cogs start to spin when someone figures something out that they thought they couldn’t.”
Davenport is recognized as a gold-level veteran-friendly school by the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. From its dedicated military admissions team to its military and veterans services office, Davenport’s goal is to provide a path to success for veterans and their families.
To learn more about how Davenport supports its veterans, visit https://www.davenport.edu/
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