Future Cyber Defenders: Ankeny Students Dive into Workiva Careers

Summary

• Workiva Collaboration: Ankeny high school students got hands-on cybersecurity experience at Workiva.
• Deep Dive into Careers: Activities and discussions gave students a direct look at security jobs.
• Real-world Perspective: Workiva staff talked about current challenges in the field.
• Skill Development: The visit focused on practical learning.

Ankeny Students Embark on a Cybersecurity Adventure

Students from Ankeny, Iowa, high schools spent time at Workiva, the Ames-based reporting software company, to learn about cybersecurity careers. The idea was to show them what security work actually looks like. Classrooms rarely can.

Interactive Learning at Workiva

Workiva, a business data and reporting software company, opened its doors so students could see how its security professionals work. The visit included activities designed to challenge students and show them how modern attacks and defenses play out.

Students worked through practical exercises. They had to analyze problems and work as a team, which is much of what security work involves.

Gaining Insights from Industry Experts

Students also met Workiva’s security staff. The professionals talked about how they got into the field and the problems they handle. Real cases made the classroom material feel concrete.

For many students, meeting people who do the job makes it feel reachable. That can matter more than any lecture.

Addressing Emerging Cybersecurity Challenges

Discussions covered trends such as data privacy, blockchain security and ethical hacking. The message from Workiva’s team was that security people have to keep learning, because the threats keep changing.

That’s a useful lesson for students. The tools they learn today will change before they graduate.

Fostering Practical Skills for the Future

Working through realistic scenarios helps students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Those skills transfer to almost any security role. The program also shows them the tools professionals actually use.

Workiva’s partnership with local schools is part of a wider push by companies to build their future talent pipeline. It connects classroom learning to real jobs.

A Look Ahead

Demand for security workers keeps growing. Programs like this one give students an early start and a clearer idea of where they might fit.

Teachers and industry staff both see value in these visits. Security education will keep changing as technology does. Early exposure helps students keep up.

Partnerships like this show how schools and local employers can work together. The students win. So do the employers.

Fred Templeton, CISA, CASP, SEC+

Fred Templeton is a practicing Information Systems Auditor in the Washington DC area. Fred works as a government contractor and uses his skills in cyber security to make our country's information systems safer from cyber threats. Fred holds a master's degree in cybersecurity and is currently working on his PHD in Information Systems.