Orlando Students Dive Into Cybersecurity World at Leading Global Firm

Orlando Students Dive Into Cybersecurity World at Leading Global Firm

Summary

• Hands-on visit: Orlando middle school students got a close look at how a cybersecurity company works.
• The host: ThreatLocker, a Zero Trust security company headquartered in Orlando, ran the tour.
• The goal: Getting younger students interested in cybersecurity careers early.
• A surprise: Several ThreatLocker employees turned out to be graduates of the same middle school.

A field trip to ThreatLocker

Thirty students from Walker Middle School in Orlando toured the headquarters of ThreatLocker, a global cybersecurity company based in the city, ThreatLocker announced on April 15, 2025. Computer education teacher Shelley Green organized the trip so her students could see how a major security company operates outside the computer lab.

The idea is simple. Get students interested in cybersecurity before they pick their high school courses, and local companies get a future hiring pipeline along the way.

A tour led by people who started where they are

The students walked through ThreatLocker’s offices and heard how the company helps businesses stop ransomware before it runs. ThreatLocker sells endpoint protection and application control tools built on a Zero Trust model.

The visit took an unexpected turn in the sales department. Account manager Lonsard Denis heard someone mention Walker Middle School and walked over to introduce himself as a graduate. Before the tour ended, two more alumni turned up on staff: talent acquisition specialist Jamal Akram and account manager Trevor Zabar.

What the students heard

Denis told the group he was an example of what hard work can lead to. “You are taking a tour of ThreatLocker today, and in the future, you could work here or at any company,” he said. “The future is yours and the sky is the limit.”

“My students had a great time at ThreatLocker learning about cybersecurity, ransomware, and hacking,” Green said.

Seventh grader Charles Ingraham was impressed. “I was absolutely blown away by it all. I am interested in working in the areas of coding, cybersecurity and graphic design,” he said. “It was interesting to hear how ThreatLocker is able to help businesses prevent cyberattacks.”

Why early exposure matters

Denis said students in his day were not exposed to an industry like cybersecurity. ThreatLocker’s own chief executive, co-founder Danny Jenkins, got interested in computers at 15 and now runs a company of more than 600 employees.

It helps. Meeting people who sat in the same classrooms a few years earlier makes a tech career feel reachable.

Visits like this cost a company an afternoon. For a middle school class, they turn an abstract career into real people with real desks, and any security firm with a local office could host one.

Dan Evert, CCNP

Dan Evert is a self proclaimed Router Jockey. Dan got heavily involved in networking right out of high school and has never looked back! Dan is giving back by working with high school students to get them involved and interested in Networking and Security.