Early Bird

8 students receive Lockheed Martin Relief Scholarship

Valuable partnership gives students affected by Covid-19 the support to persist.

By Josie Lavender

February 2, 2021

Labor-market analytics firm Emsi reports that for every 100 active cybersecurity job postings in the United States, there are a mere 48 qualified candidates. As Metropolitan State University of Denver prepares students for this growing field, however, the Covid-19 pandemic has threatened some Roadrunners’ ability to remain in the University’s cybersecurity and related programs.

When MSU Denver partner Lockheed Martin asked to collaborate with the University to redirect $25,000 in unused travel funds, Richard Mac Namee, director of the Cybersecurity Center at MSU Denver and The Cyber Range at MSU Denver, determined that the best application for the money was to directly support struggling students.

To help students remain on track for graduation, Lockheed Martin and MSU Denver established the Lockheed Martin Relief Scholarship to support Computer Science Studies, Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice and Criminology, Cybersecurity or Electrical Engineering students at risk of stopping out. On Jan. 15, eight Metropolitan State University of Denver students each received more than $4,400 in relief funds.

“Covid-19 has impacted my academic journey through making school a lot tougher,” said Bryana Hernandez, an MSU Denver Criminal Justice major whose grades fell after she contracted Covid-19. “This scholarship has given me the opportunity to really enjoy school and have less stressors. I am very grateful for this scholarship. I now have more time to learn and expand my knowledge rather than worrying about if I will be able to pay for my education.”

Mayela Cardona, another scholarship recipient and mother of a special-needs child, was unable to hold a job because someone within her household was immunocompromised. “That led us to living on a very minimal income,” Cardona said. “The Lockheed Martin Relief Scholarship has provided me with peace of mind, and I will forever be grateful.”

Lockheed Martin has a long history of supporting MSU Denver students aspiring to enter tech-related fields. The security-and-aerospace firm recruits MSU Denver Advanced Manufacturing Science majors every year and in 2017 invested $1 million to establish the University’s Lockheed Martin Additive Manufacturing Laboratory.

MSU Denver’s Cybersecurity major is offered jointly through the Criminal Justice and Criminology, Computer Information Systems and Business Analytics, and Computer Sciences departments. Students who are interested in the programs are encouraged to schedule an advising meeting.

Additional support for students facing pandemic stress can be found here.