114: Vicky Qiu.

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In this episode, host Bidemi Ologunde spoke with a long-time friend, Vicky Qiu. Vicky has served in the U.S. Army for about ten years, first as a Patriot Missile operator while on active duty, and now as a Chaplain’s Assistant in the Army Reserves. She also works as a Senior Academic Advisor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where she advises students, including military veterans. She has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice, and she briefly worked as an IT specialist while on active duty in the Army. She shared how she initially planned to become a police officer with the NYPD, but got kicked out of college, joined the military, learned about structure and discipline while in the military, and then went back to school to finish her bachelor’s degree. Now she is very passionate about her civilian job because she has had the benefit of perspective to evaluate her life and goals before and after joining the military.

We talked about the nature of cybersecurity within school systems, how people make common mistakes with email accounts, passwords, misinformation on social media, and the adverse effects of poor cyber hygiene, including doing things that could potentially sabotage future security clearances, mental health issues, trauma, and so on. Vicky shared how she motivates herself daily, what she likes to do outside of work, her favorite podcasts, TV shows, and a powerful and inspiring poem from the miniseries 11.22.63 by Stephen King.

Vicky can also be reached on Instagram: @_chewyyx

Please send questions, comments, and suggestions to [email protected]. You can also get in touch on LinkedIn, Twitter, the Clubhouse app (@bid), and the Wisdom app (@bidemi).

Check out host Bidemi Ologunde's latest book, Feet of Clay: Democracy, Democratic Values & Destructive Influences, available on Amazon, eBay, and Barnes & Noble.

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