@SheHacksPurple What the heck, I'll throw myself out there. This terrifies me, but I don't know how to get where I want to be alone, so it's leap of faith time. #CyberMentoringMonday

I'm currently working in Germany, just started a tour of duty in January and I'm currently committed for 3 years (January 2026). I work as a Sysadmin/Tier 2 End User support specialist for a DoD agency, and want to learn as much as I can about cybersecurity so I can pivot into a cybersecurity role when it's time to go back to the US. Where in infosec do I want to be? Don't really know yet. I'm hoping to find my niche in the process. I'm intrigued by the idea of digital forensics, but I don't know enough about it yet to say definitively, "Oh yeah, that's definitely it." There are other areas of infosec that intrigue me as well. It's hard to pick one path!

Previously, I worked for a university in their IT Security department as a Helpdesk Analyst, which was a new role created to serve as the liaison between the Helpdesk and Security. I got a taste for infosec in that job, but 3 months in, Covid hit. We all were made to work from home, which made it much harder to bug colleagues into teaching me what they knew. During that time I got my Security+ and applied for other jobs, eventually landing my current role. I did this in Maryland for a couple years, then got the opportunity to do it in Germany, so here I am now!

I'm currently studying for the CySA+ certification, that exam is scheduled for May 12. I also have ADHD, which makes for an overwhelming experience when trying to find direction.

Apologies for the long winded life story, I'm hoping it provides some context as to where I came from and where I kinda want to end up. Anyone willing to mentor me would be a saint! Thanks for your time and attention!