CHARTING THE COURSE SINCE 1961
Fall Nursing Pinning Ceremony
This was our first fall pinning ceremony for students in the Associate Science in Nursing and Radiologic Science programs who graduated in December.
ALUMNI PROFILE:
WES BAIRD ‘24
“
A Perfect Fit: A Journey in Cyber Defense and Leadership”
By Tiffany King
’
Editor’s Note: Wes Baird
s preferred pronouns are they, them,
Amongst a sea of graduates donning black caps and gowns, with the adoring smiles of friends and families in the background, College of Coastal Georgia graduate Wes Baird ’24 was asked to stand. Then College President Dr. Michelle Johnston recognized Baird in her commencement address to the audience and spring graduates, as she highlighted a few graduates who’ve made their mark at the College Baird being one of them.
Johnston spoke of how they will be one of the first people in their family to graduate with a bachelor’s degree, and how they competed in cybersecurity competitions.
“But as great as he is as a competitor, Wes is known by so many as someone you can count on for help. Whether it’s advice on coffee types and flavors, CB radios and drones— because he has a drone license to fly drones websites, computer problems, or if you need a ride, he is always there to help. So, congratulations, Wes, on being excellent in all of these ways,” Johnston said in her remarks.
Baird stood to the applause from their peers, family, and friends. It was a surprising, yet proud moment for them
their.
especially for their mother who was obviously overjoyed— because it reflected their time at the College, which prepared them for the next phase of their life.
Baird is originally from Canton, Georgia. They learned about the College through their high school computer science teacher who had a child at Coastal. With a reputable cyber defense program and affordable tuition, it was a perfect match. Baird’s goal was a career in cyber defense, but they also enjoyed programming. By majoring in interdisciplinary studies, with a concentration in cyber defense, they were able to do both cyber defense and programming. Baird was a member of XR Education Innovated Labs (XREIL), a cutting-edge development group at the College that creates engaging and immersive educational experiences. XREIL members have been working on a virtual reality educationbased escape room, called Unlock. Unlock is still in progress, but features math puzzles that make understanding and learning math fun. As part an independent study course, for the game, Baird created a virtual full-scale 15-puzzle. When
the player steps on a tile, it moves to an empty space.
“I enjoyed working on the project,” Baird said. “It was really interesting and actually helped me a lot with higher-level math. I was kind of forced to jump in and do it, but it was also very stressful, not really knowing anything going into the class.”
Share What You Know
One of the many highlights of Baird’s time at the College was participating in National Cyber League (NCL) competitions. The NCL is a bi-annual cybersecurity competition that provides a simulated platform where students can test their cybersecurity skills against peers nationwide. Earlier this spring, over 7,000 participants from various colleges and universities competed in the rigorous challenges designed to mimic scenarios that cybersecurity professionals face daily. Baird was one of the standout performers, and placed in the top 1%, setting a new record for the College.
“The NCL was a fantastic opportunity for me to apply what I’ve learned in class in a competitive environment through CTFs (capture the flag). I have spent many hours practicing, studying, and helping others in the Cyber Sail Club to build a knowledge base and improve my own skills,” Baird said about the competition.
Baird finished 72nd out of 7,399 and completed 92.4% of all of the challenges. They also served as a team captain, with their team finishing 34th out of 4,000 teams.
Baird truly enjoyed helping their peers in the cyber defense program. Helping others reinforced what they learned, making them a better competitor and more prepared for real world cyber security scenarios. Their advice to other students is to not keep good information to yourself.
“Share it. If you’ve got a faster way to do something, or if you think there’s a better way to do it, discuss it with that person that you’re working with, and see what you can do to either find a middle ground or a much more efficient way to do something,” Baird said.
Dr. Nelbert “Doc” St. Clair, associate professor of cyber defense, complimented Baird, saying that their method of sharing knowledge was caring, kind, and compassionate which spread to everyone they touched over the last two years.
After graduating from Coastal in May, Baird now works as a junior security analyst for Critical Path Security. Their duties involve pen testing and digital forensics for companies. Participating in the competitions gave them great experience in doing hands-on work, diving deep into information to understand what they’re looking for.
Read more about Wes here.
THANK YOU BEVERLY!
Associate Professor of Nursing Beverly Rowe is retiring after 30 years at the College of Coastal Georgia. She was recognized at fall commencement for her hard work and dedication in training students to become compassionate nurses and caregivers. Beverly’s specialty is pediatric nursing, where she teaches students how to be resilient just like their young patients.
She answered a few questions about her time teaching at the College:
What has been one of your favorite teaching moments?
“When I teach a certain topic, such as pediatric respiratory problems, and the students have come prepared with their assigned class activities, such as case studies, and are active participants in the class. I also like the expressions on the students’ faces when they finally get it and understand the content you taught.”
What do you hope students have learned during your time at Coastal Georgia?
“Critical thinking, problem solving, competence, care, compassion, and making a difference in a patient and their family lives. I went into nursing because I wanted to help patients and make a difference in their lives, and it was not just a job to me.”
Thank you so much Beverly for being such an awesome educator. Your thoughtfulness and caring nature will live on through the hundreds of students you’ve taught over the years.
Congratulations on your retirement and we wish you well!
JANUARY FIRST FRIDAY, 5 P.M., IN DOWNTOWN BRUNSWICK, LOCATED AT MACHEN SQUARE EAST, IN BETWEEN ARTE PIZZA AND CUNNINGHAM JEWELERS
WOMEN
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, IN COFFIN AT 5:30 P.M.
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. NEW COLLEGE OF FLORIDA, IN COFFIN AT 7:30 P.M.
FEB 21 SALTY’S SHRIMP BOIL & SHANTIES ON THE ROOF
An Environmental Sciences Program Fundraising Event
Location: Campus Center Roof Top
Cost: Single Ticket: $50/$80 for two
Alumni: $35/$60 for two
Purchase tickets here
For sponsorship opportunities, click here.
Check out the College of Coastal Georgia Calendar for all events.
STAY IN TOUCH
We would love to stay in touch with you. Please tell us about yourself and what you’ve been up to after college. Update your contact information here. Questions? Contact alumni@ccga.edu.
