Texas Border Business
By Joey Gomez
McALLEN, Texas – When Aaron Moore enrolled at South Texas College’s Cybersecurity program in 2018, he was searching for more than a credential. He was searching for direction, opportunity and a future he could believe in.
Moore, who earned his Associate of Applied Science in Cybersecurity from STC in 2020, now works with one of the largest cybersecurity companies in the nation, Palo Alto Networks in San Antonio, where he specializes in security automation, detection and response technologies and security center operations.
Now today as an STC alumnus, Moore said he is building a dynamic future in one of the nation’s fastest growing industries.
More than six years after graduating from STC, Moore said he hopes his journey from the classroom to a successful career in cybersecurity can stand as an example to students considering what comes next after college.
“This is what STC did for me,” Moore said. “The college gave me a path.”
Originally from Georgia, Moore moved to the Rio Grande Valley after getting married and soon decided he wanted to transition from his earlier career in programming to cybersecurity. Using his experience as a contractor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Moore said he wanted a program that could provide hands-on learning and help him build a career path forward.
He knew STC’s Cybersecurity program by reputation, but as a student he found more than technical instruction, he said. He found encouragement from faculty members who helped him strengthen his skills and see his own potential.
He credited Cybersecurity Program Chair Francisco Salinas and faculty member Hector Trevino, among many others, for taking time to work with him individually and helping him grow personally, as well as professionally.
“They believed in me, and they gave me the tools that I needed,” Moore said. “They gave me the classes and the foundation to be able to see a path that I didn’t see before.”
Through courses in networking, cybersecurity fundamentals, ethical hacking and digital forensics, Moore said he gained a deeper understanding of the field along with the many possibilities within it.
Those experiences helped transform cybersecurity from an interest to a calling, he said.
“Cybersecurity is broad and that’s a good thing,” he said. “STC helped me understand what I wanted to do and helped me realize I could actually see myself doing this.”
Even as the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his final semester and prevented him from walking across the stage to receive his diploma, Moore said he refused to let that setback define his story. Within weeks of completing his degree, he landed his first cybersecurity job and began building the career he had worked hard to achieve.
He advanced through cybersecurity engineering roles at UnitedHealth Group, and is now set to begin his new role as a cybersecurity architect with Palo Alto Networks, helping clients strengthen their security operations and implement best practices.
Moore said he hopes his message reaches current and future STC students, especially those who may still be unsure of their path.
“You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room,” Moore said. “As long as you have the desire, the effort and the willingness to learn and believe in your dream, that’s really all you need.”
Within himself, Moore said STC helped him discover what was possible. Now through his own success, he is showing students that with the right support, dedication and belief in themselves, they can build a future beyond what they imagined.
“I believe I exemplify everything that makes STC so successful for students who want to reach their career goals,” he said. “If it wasn’t for STC, I know I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now.”
For more information about STC’s Cybersecurity program, visit southtexascollege.edu/academics/cybersecurity/.
