Williamsport, Pa. — James P. Thomas considers himself lucky. He found his passion, nurtured it and made it his profession. Today, the beneficiaries of his zest and expertise are countless. The Penn College graduate is a key member of a network of cyber security experts that protects the U.S. military's data.
The 2020 graduate is an information systems security engineer for the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific. Headquartered in San Diego, NIWC Pacific provides integrated command and control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance for the military. Its information warfare systems extend from the bottom of the sea all the way out to space.
One of more than 5,000 employees, Thomas is assigned to NIWC Pacific’s Philadelphia detachment. There, he helps engineers and program managers protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of various information systems within the Department of Defense. Those systems can impact the operation of anything from submarines to government phones.
Thomas, known as "JT" to his friends, obviously can’t divulge specifics about his role, except to stress that he doesn’t have a typical nine-to-five.
“That is why I wanted to pursue cybersecurity. Every day is a new challenge and something new to learn about,” he explained.
Growing up in Reading, Thomas didn’t consider an information technology career until his older brother, William, recommended a software development course in high school. The class hooked Thomas on computers. Exposure to cybersecurity pointed him toward that specific IT path.
“Cybersecurity seemed to be the buzzword in the news. Some research into the topic led to information about how I would never stop learning,” Thomas recalled. “I’m really happy I made the decision I did because I’m having a blast working on so many different things.”
Those “things” include introducing K-12 students to careers rooted in science, technology, engineering, and math. During his less confidential work hours, Thomas is the STEM/intern site coordinator for NIWC Pacific, visiting schools throughout Greater Philadelphia.
“Our primary focus is definitely cybersecurity, but we touch on all things computer science, and I try to include robotics whenever I can,” he said. “Being the STEM coordinator gives me a sense of accomplishment that I’m making a difference in my community and helping to bolster the nation’s security posture through the next generation who can enter the workforce with a security mindset.”
The role requires Thomas to mentor students through time-intensive, hands-on challenges related to information security.
“I’ve been able to use my education from Penn College as inspiration for activities and projects for students to work on and study,” he said.
Sandra Gorka, professor of computer information technology at Penn College, isn’t surprised that Thomas seized the opportunity to be an ambassador of sorts for cybersecurity. She witnessed his potential for that role.
“We had an assignment in one of our classes that focused on helping others learn cybersecurity concepts,” she said. “After the assignment, I received an unsolicited email from an individual who indicated that James was successful at getting someone to learn IT and security concepts where others had failed. James was always willing to help others. And he always had a smile on his face.”
Thomas followed his brother’s path to Penn College in earning a bachelor’s degree in information assurance & cyber security. William graduated in 2015 and is a cybersecurity architect for Boscov’s Department Store LLC.
“He’s had a really big impact on my career and education,” Thomas said.
His own research finalized the decision to enroll at Penn College and tackle the industry-driven curriculum covering programming, databases, networking, threat prevention, assessment, and testing. Thomas believed that the depth and breadth of the cybersecurity major were superior to programs offered by other schools on his wish list.
Four years removed from college, he maintains that assessment.
“I personally don’t know of any Penn College cyber student who gave it their all who doesn’t have an outstanding job now,” he said. “I truly believe that the program at Penn College is at the forefront of cyber education. Even if I’m not using specific skills from a class, the knowledge I obtained while at Penn College about the subject matter has kept me in a position where I can ask the right questions to find out what the project needs are.
“I’m extremely grateful for my education at Penn College, especially for my professors, who were nothing short of experts in their craft.”
One of those professors, Gorka, played an important role in connecting Thomas with his future employer.
“During our advisory committee meeting, we always invite a few students to participate and to take notes. James was our first choice the year he participated,” Gorka said. “After the meeting, he indicated that he was particularly interested in what one of the committee members (a representative from NIWC Pacific) did. I arranged an email introduction, and that led to James getting a job.”
“I obtained my position partially by being in the right place at the right time, partially by making the right connections and partially by having confidence to go for it,” Thomas added.
Gorka’s introduction led Thomas to a long Zoom call with the NIWC Pacific employee. The online meetup occurred during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the job market all but vanished for impending graduates.
“At the end of the conversation, he asked for my resume to give me some pointers even though he said they weren’t hiring,” Thomas said. “Two days later, I received an email from him asking if I’d like to interview that week. Then the rest is history!”
It’s a history that Thomas is proud to live daily, no matter the assignment.
“I don’t come from a military family, but since I started working at NIWC Pacific, I’ve felt much more love for my nation,” he said, “and I can feel my impact in securing our nation’s defenses.”
Lucky indeed!
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