Elmhurst Cyber Club Team Wins State First and Second Place Awards

Submitted by Lisa O’Halloran

Elmhurst, IL - Two teams of high school students who attend York Community High School recently concluded an exceptional round of competition in the seventh season of CyberPatriot – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.

Led by Coach Dean Jensen from Elmhurst College, students, who attend York Community High School, excelled in the CyberPatriot VIII State Round, held Jan. 31, demonstrating teamwork, critical thinking skills and technical knowledge key to a successful career in cybersecurity.

The team’s performance earned it State 1st and 2nd Place Award and a spot in the Platinum Tier Regional Round, to be held Feb. 21.

The team included students William Brigham, Alaina Bottens, Paul Campbell, Stephon Des Jardins, Quinn Karpman, Evan Mills, Brandon Musgrave, Amelia O’Halloran, Michael Speers, Brian Strauch and Alex Swinford,

The Cyber Team would like to thank Dean Jensen, Director of Infrastructure and Web Applications as well as Elmhurst College for providing excellent technical mentorship along with space and support. In all, 3,379 teams registered to compete in CyberPatriot VIII. Established by the Air Force Association, the CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was created to excite, educate, and motivate students toward careers in cyber security and other STEM disciplines critical to our nation’s future.

CyberPatriot’s core program – the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition – challenges teams of students across the world, to find and resolve cybersecurity vulnerabilities in simulated environments. Top teams win an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC for the live National Finals Competition, where students compete for national recognition and scholarships.

While these teams are comprised of York Community High School Students, the Elmhurst Computer Club is not a York sponsored club and students who live in Elmhurst or attend any Elmhurst schools are invited to join.

For more information about joining next year’s team in Fall 2016 please email Lisa@ohalloranmail.com. More information is also available at uscyberpatriot.org or from the CyberPatriot staff at info@uscyberpatriot.org.