Homeland security educationPenn Stater is first in family to earn masters degree

Published 15 August 2012

Isiah Jones of Harrisburg will receive a master’s degree in Homeland Security-Information Security and Forensics, which he earned online through Penn State’s World Campus; the Penn State World Campus specializes in adult online education, delivering more than eighty of Penn State’s most highly regarded graduate, undergraduate, and professional education programs through online formats

Penn State's online programs include a Master's in Homeland Security // Source: psu.edu

Isiah Jones of Harrisburg will receive a master’s degree in Homeland Security-Information Security and Forensics, which he earned online through Penn State’s World Campus.

Known as Izzy by his family, Isiah became the first in his maternal grandmother’s family to earn a four year degree in 2003 when he graduated with a bachelor of science in information systems and technology from Penn State. His grandmother was on hand to see him graduate then and will be on hand once again, something that Izzy couldn’t be happier about.

I wanted my grandmother to be with me again, because she never had a chance to get much education living in Alabama before the Civil Rights Movement opened up education opportunities,” said Jones of Carrie Mae Brown, who was once a sharecropper. “Grandma only made it through sixth grade. She was one of 18 and she will be 80 in December, and this is my way of giving her an early birthday present.” Jones told PSULive.

Brown, who now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina,, has six children, about forty grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. “We all want to come together for her turning 80 in 2012,” said Jones of his family’s birthday celebration plans.

Izzy is currently an information assurance officer and security analyst with Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Business Systems Center in Mechanicsburg. Izzy has even been a source of motivation in his family as his sister is following him as a criminal justice major as Penn State Harrisburg.

While an undergraduate, Izzy served as a student intern with NAVSUP and joined the company as a systems analyst upon graduating. Izzy wanted to do more, however, and heard about the creation of U.S. Cyber command, an armed forces sub-unified command subordinate to U.S. Strategic Command, and decided to get his masters degree in homeland security, with a focus on information security and forensics.

The Penn State World Campus specializes in adult online education, delivering more than eighty of Penn State’s most highly regarded graduate, undergraduate, and professional education programs through online formats. World Campus is part of Penn State Outreach, which serves more than 5 million people each year, in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, all 50 states, and more than 100 countries worldwide.