CYBERSECURITYBuilding Nevada’s Cyber Future One Summer Camp at a Time
UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering launched GenCyber Camp to create awareness of college and career pathways in cybersecurity among Nevada’s youth. The program has secured an impressive share of success stories. Organizers search for funding to keep the momentum going.
Jhaell Jimenez is exactly the kind of success story that the UNLV GenCyber Camp aimed for when it launched in 2018.
“It was a series of events, beginning with GenCyber Camp, that led me to my current path,” says Jimenez. He is now pursuing a doctoral degree in cybersecurity while working as a research intern at Sandia National Laboratories — and he is a great example of the power of UNLV programs to address workforce needs.
Jimenez was a senior at Cimarron-Memorial High School when a teacher encouraged him to attend the camp. He went on to graduate from UNLV in 2023 with a bachelor of science in computer science and plans to continue cybersecurity research after he completes his doctorate.
UNLV’s Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering launched GenCyber Camp to create awareness of college and career pathways in cybersecurity among Nevada’s youth. The program has secured an impressive share of success stories — not only have camp participants continued in the cybersecurity field after high school, but many have chosen to stay local and pursue their cybersecurity degrees at UNLV.
But, with the expiration of its longtime federal funding source, the popular cybersecurity camp is in jeopardy. After seven years and hundreds of middle and high school students passing through the camp’s doors, this summer marked the last federally funded event.
Sponsored by the U.S. National Security Agency and National Science Foundation, the camp has been free to attend and has supported the nation’s goals to grow and diversify the cybersecurity workforce. UNLV’s camp organizers, however, are dedicated to securing support from the local community to sustain this impactful initiative and continue building Nevada’s cybersecurity talent pipeline.
“Seeing our prior campers in our college classes, having them become mentors in the very program they attended as high school students, and being able to watch them graduate and land jobs fills us with a great sense of pride,” said Juyeon Jo, computer science professor and GenCyber camp co-director. “We know this program, and the students, can make a difference.”
