Angelina’s Journey From 3 A.M. Shifts to a Cybersecurity Career
by Angelina Zhukova
The Journey Begins
My story started when I immigrated to the United States from Eastern Europe as a fresh high school graduate. I needed to figure out how the American education system worked, and after hours of research, I decided that community college was the perfect place for someone who was still learning English and working part-time to help my family.
Discovering Cybersecurity
I always knew I wanted to study something cybersecurity-related, and I was fortunate that my local community college offered that brand-new major. During my first year, I started building my resume with my career advisor, even though there wasn’t much to work with initially. I began searching for computer science internships as soon as I passed my first programming class, which led to a data science internship at a life sciences company.
It didn’t matter to me that my first internship wasn’t directly related to cybersecurity. As long as it was STEM-related and helped me improve my Python skills, I was extremely happy to contribute to the company in any way I could. That internship actually started a chain reaction of opportunities. My advice: take advantage of your student status and apply to as many internships as you can after your freshman year.
Working, Studying, and Supporting Family
The challenges I faced were significant. Everything in America is expensive. I had to wake up at 3 a.m. to start my 4 a.m. shift, then drive straight to school afterward. I was paying for my tuition entirely on my own without family help, and sometimes I even helped my family pay rent, bills, or groceries. Balancing work, school, and family responsibilities was exhausting, but I was determined to push ahead.
Finding Last Mile
Fast-forward a couple of years: I was about to graduate and transfer to a four-year school when I came across a Last Mile advertisement in my school’s STEM newsletter. As someone who always took advantage of every opportunity, I immediately applied for the Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship. Last Mile’s application process stood out to me because it was so easy to apply, unlike traditional scholarships that require long essays about why you deserve the award.
That started another chain of opportunities. As an alum, I made sure not to miss reading any Last Mile newsletters, and that’s how I learned about the Microsoft Shadow Hunter Challenge. To push myself, I decided to participate just to learn something new. Imagine my surprise when I saw in the results that I finished as one of the top contestants and was invited to San Francisco for the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association event and RSA Conference.
Support Through Transfer and Beyond
Last Mile supported me even when I transferred to a private four-year institution offering a cybersecurity degree to finish my bachelor’s. Their support meant I didn’t have to withdraw for a semester or two just to work more and save money. Times were really tight, and I couldn’t even afford to pay an emergency dentist bill because of limited insurance, but Last Mile was there to help me.
Not only was I able to finish my degree on time, but I could also focus on personal projects and participating in CTFs instead of working extra hours. This helped me deepen my knowledge, practice essential skills, and improve my resume.
Reaching New Milestones
The skills I built, combined with my previous internship experiences, helped me land an internship at my dream company—Microsoft. After graduation, I was offered a full-time position there as a security engineer, where I continue to work today.
Paying It Forward
My goal remains the same: never stop learning. But now that I’ve accomplished these milestones, I want to pass along my hard-earned knowledge to those who are in situations similar to mine four years ago. I want to give women in STEM the confidence and guidance to navigate such a stressful field. Last Mile made me feel like an irreplaceable part of their community, and that gave me confidence. This is the kind of support I hope to pay forward.
