Scholarships Enable HCU Senior to Pursue Career in Cybersecurity
Houston Christian University (HCU) senior Eduardo Corazón envisioned a career as a neurosurgeon or neurologist, but his passion for electronics and programming led him into the world of cybersecurity. Born to Nicaraguan parents of modest means, Corazón was raised in a Christian family with strong values and work ethics but with limited resources to fund his educational goals.
“I come from a poor socio-economic background, and whilst I firmly believe in a strong work ethic and dedication, there are certain factors that limit the execution of one’s goals,” said Corazón.
When beginning his college search, he evaluated his options at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M but chose HCU for its affordability, proximity to home, faith based education and small class sizes.
A graduate of Houston’s Carnegie Vanguard High School, Corazón was admitted to HCU and awarded The Hopper Fellows Award, named in honor of Rear Admiral Grace M. Hopper, PhD, a pioneer of computer science and military service.
The scholarship is awarded to students pursuing degrees in high-demand, STEM-related degree programs who meet higher merit criteria and are willing to participate in leadership development and service activities for the College of Science and Engineering.
Corazón credits the generous donations of Holly Frost and his wife, Kathaleen Wall, through The Hopper Fellows Award for enabling him to pursue his educational goals.
“The impact this scholarship has had on my ability to pursue a higher education has been absolutely invaluable. Without the scholarship, I highly doubt I would be able to pursue my education at the same level or even at all given the economic burden that stems from college,” said Corazón.
He is also a recipient of the President’s Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship that provides $88,000 to qualifying freshmen over eight undergraduate semesters.
A scholar in HCU’s Honors College, Corazón is also immensely grateful for the impact that his professors have had on his personal and professional development.
“Their profound wisdom, strength of character and guidance have been instrumental in my growth as an individual. I am truly fortunate to have had such dedicated individuals supporting me throughout my college experience,” said Corazón.
He commends the Honors College for developing a curriculum that has enabled him to learn more about Christ and philosophy, helped him solidify his religious beliefs after experiencing a crisis in faith in high school and opened the door to a network of individuals who are helping each other grow in Christ.
“Whilst I was raised in a Christian family, I had almost lost my faith through high school as I embraced new ideologies and perspectives. Yet I found support and guidance in my mentors, professors and peers,” said Corazón.
The transformative journey he has experienced at HCU reminds him of a favorite quote by Marcus Aurelius that he strives to live by that reads, “Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now, take what’s left and live it properly. What doesn’t transmit light creates its own darkness.”
For Corazón, the road ahead is full of light as he prepares to graduate at the end of the spring semester and begin working at Amazon Web Services (AWS). He interned as a Cloud Support Associate at AWS and was mentored by Amazon engineers with whom he worked on various high-impact cybersecurity assignments, including adding new open-source search features, addressing community issues, fixing bugs and testing.
“Cybersecurity is my passion, and the chance to apply what I learned at HCU in an industry with a far-reaching impact and an amazing culture has been truly fulfilling. I thoroughly enjoy learning, and my time at AWS and HCU provided the perfect environment to explore and develop my skill sets on both a personal and professional level,” said the HCU senior.