Students Mentored at a Conference for Women in Cybersecurity

From April 2nd to April 5th, the University of Richmond (UR) sent two students and one staff member to attend the 2025 Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) conference in Dallas, TX. WiCyS is an international professional organization with the mission to recruit, retain and advance women in cybersecurity to build a robust cybersecurity workforce. Last year’s 2024 WiCyS conference was supported by 115 sponsors with 1,950 in-person and 845 virtual attendees from all over the world. 

Svetla Walsh, an information security analyst with the Information Services (IS) security team, received a competitive military scholarship to attend the 4-day 2025 WiCyS conference and took the opportunity to also volunteer assisting the conference organizers. As a returning WiCyS attendee, she wanted to give back and provide volunteer support to the bag/t-shirt pick-up, military breakfast, and one of the workshops. Furthermore, Svetla sparked interest in this exciting organization with UR students by working with Dr. David Balash in the Computer Science department. She was able to provide mentorship to two University of Richmond sophomores, Darina Mbiakop Kuitcha and Tamanna Ketan, who attended the conference this year. These were the first UR students to ever attend a WiCyS conference. 

For the students, it was an eye-opening experience. Darina shared her thoughts: 

“Over the course of the conference I attended fun, challenging workshops and listened to thought-provoking voices in the cybersecurity field. But beyond the technical depth, what made this experience truly unforgettable was the sense of empowerment and community. Being in a room full of passionate, brilliant women in tech - from students to chief information security officers (CISOs) - reminded me just how powerful representation and shared purpose can be. 

“The career fair opened doors to conversations with top employers in cybersecurity. The networking events were not only fun (yes, there was line dancing) but also deeply meaningful - I left with new mentors, collaborators, and friends. Whether you are new to cybersecurity or a seasoned professional, WiCyS is more than conference - it’s a movement. One that I’m proud to be a part of. I can’t wait to bring all the knowledge and inspiration back to my community - and am already counting down to WiCyS 2026.” 

“Thank you to the University, the IS Security team, and Dr. Balash for supporting a successful experience at the 2025 WiCyS conference.”