2026 Women in Cyber Security Conference
Students from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) traveled to the nation’s capital earlier this month to attend the Women in Cyber Security (WiCys) Conference 2026, gaining hands-on experience, industry insight, and renewed confidence in their career paths.
Among the attendees was the TAMU-CC WiCyS chapter president, Jalen Counterman ’25. Throughout the conference, she attended presentations on a wide variety of topics and participated in group discussions addressing issues relevant to women in cybersecurity. She also connected with leaders of WiCyS student groups from other universities, gaining valuable insights and strategies she plans to bring back to strengthen recruitment and retention efforts within the TAMU-CC chapter.
Another Islander, Shelby Carrol, also attended the conference and took on a leadership role by leading a workshop titled "Hacking the Hardware: Cybersecurity in Embedded Systems." Her session emphasized the critical intersection between hardware and software in cybersecurity, highlighting how hardware is often designed with maintenance as its primary function while overlooking essential security features. Through a hands-on activity, she guided participants in using a Raspberry Pi Pico 2–based circuit to test physical systems, allowing them to uncover and better understand real-world vulnerabilities. She encouraged attendees to think critically about these often-overlooked security gaps.
A major highlight of the event was the career fair, where students connected with recruiters and explored potential job opportunities.
“The job fair helped expose me to many new companies and gave me a better idea of where I might want to apply after graduation,” Counterman said. “It also showed me what to look for and what to prepare for.”
Beyond career preparation, both students emphasized the personal impact of the conference. Counterman reflected on the importance of representation in the field.
“I have been in cybersecurity classes before where I was the only girl in the room, and that can be very intimidating,” she said. “Attending this conference and seeing women in every position—from entry level to CEO—was really empowering because it made me feel like I was actually supposed to be there.”
By the end of the three-day conference, both students returned to Texas with not only new knowledge and professional connections, but also a stronger sense of belonging in the rapidly growing cybersecurity field.