SHARING OUR INNER VOICE STORIES by Kavika Singhal, Cyber Security Consultant at EY Jay Hira, Director of Cyber Transformation at EY Michelle Gatsi, Cyber Security Consultant at EY Emily Goodman, Cyber Security Consultant at EY Shinesa Cambric, Principal Product Manager, Microsoft Intelligent Protections - Emerging Identity at Microsoft Kaajal Sharma, Offensive Security Associate at EY Baby Lyn Nagayo, Cyber Security Manager at EY INTRODUCTION individuals from diverse walks of life—to share their stories of how they had found themselves at the junction of diverging pathways and at the lifelong
Kavika Singhal Reflecting is an intimate, thought-provoking process.
changes their choice between these had wrought.
STORIES
It is the focal point where our grown self and old self meet to have a conversation about our strengths, weaknesses, values and learnings. These lines from
Jay Hira
the poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost stirred up some questions for me: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
“Do not let anybody’s opinion define your choices: the future is yours to create.”
I took the one less travelled by, And that has made all the difference.”
Aged 18, I sat in the dean’s office with my father. My grades were average but my ambitions lofty. To this
Frost writes that when, in life, he found himself having
day, I clearly remember the dean’s laughter and blunt
to choose between two diverging roads, travelling
remarks when my father asked about my chances of
the less trodden path made ”all the difference” in his
getting into the computer science program. “Your son
life. Each of us encounters such occasions in our
has ZERO chance of getting into computer science.
lifetime, where we need to make tough choices and
Have you looked at his track record? I’m doubtful he
become confused while weighing up which choice
will even be able to complete his degree in four years.”
will deliver the best outcome. What factors should I consider in such a situation? Can I always make the
Those words crushed my soul and filled me with
best choice? And most importantly: how do I stay on
fear, leaving me with two choices: either give up
my chosen path?
and surrender to the harsh, critical voice in my head telling me, “You are not smart enough, you are not
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With a head full of questions and the determination
capable enough!” Or trust my inner voice encouraging
to seek an answer I sat down with some of my
me to believe my hard work and strength would lead
cybersecurity industry mentors and friends—
to success.
W O M E N I N S E C U R I T Y M A G A Z I N E
N O V E M B E R • D E C E M B E R 2022