Military Spotlight

The Best Possible Outcome

Navy Vet Puts in the Work, Reaps the Rewards

When Matt Bednarski got out of the Navy, he figured he would take some time off and relax. That lasted all of four days. He got bored and realized that he should probably go back to school. He had tried community before joining the military, but this time he knew he had to approach his education with a different mindset. “The biggest obstacle I had to overcome to get where I am now is understanding that I needed to put in the work to fully learn and understand what was being taught,” he says.

“I would describe my experience at ECPI as the best possible outcome for a student. I enrolled, took my schoolwork seriously, and involved myself with my studies in and out of class. I loved the hands-on learning. I am very much a ‘doer,’ so getting to do the work in class that I would then do in the workforce was awesome.”

– Matt Bednarski, Virginia Beach Cybersecurity Graduate and Online Master’s Student

This time, Matt brought his A game. He enrolled in the Cyber and Information Security program at the Virginia Beach campus. With the discipline of a military veteran, he excelled academically, earning a 3.98 GPA. “Because of the effort I put into my work, I had started to stand out among my peers and was offered a spot in the Federal Work-Study program on campus,” he says. “From there, I was able to get a government contracting job in the cybersecurity field. I would describe my experience at ECPI as the best possible outcome for a student. I enrolled, took my schoolwork seriously, and involved myself with my studies in and out of class. I loved the hands-on learning. I am very much a ‘doer,’ so getting to do the work in class that I would then do in the workforce was awesome.

“I absolutely love my career. I am currently an Associate Technical Account Manager for a company named Tanium. We specialize in centralized endpoint management and security. Currently, I am pursuing my Master of Science degree in Cyber Operations. Once I am done with my degree, I will work towards adding CISSP to my certifications, and maybe someday add a Ph.D. to my signature line.”

Moreover, Matt says he is now making enough money to allow his wife to stay home, care for their son, and earn her degree as well. She just got out of the Navy and has enrolled at ECPI University to study online. Matt says that he’s living proof that hard work pays off. “Just because ECPI gives you the opportunity to graduate with a degree in 2.5 years does not mean it is a cake walk,” he says. “Don’t expect to come in, do the bare minimum, and make six figures as soon as you get out. If you come in and put your best foot forward, work hard, and sometimes burn the midnight oil, your work will not go unnoticed.”