Annemarie Ching is the winner of the BIT Departmental award for Outstanding Senior! She is a senior who will graduate from the BIT Department this May. After graduation, Ching will work at Deloitte as a cybersecurity analyst.

Annemarie took time to answer some questions about her time as a student in the BIT Department and why she chose the Cybersecurity Management and Analytics (CMA) degree in the Business Information Technology Department at Virginia Tech:

Name: Annemarie Ching

Major(s) and Option/Concentration: Cybersecurity Management and Analytics (CMA)

Post Graduation (Employment or Continuing Education): I will be working as a Cybersecurity Analyst at Deloitte

Clubs, Student Organizations, etc:

 I was Co-President of the BIT Club at Virginia Tech, the Technology Chair for HackViolet VT, a Mentor and the Corporate Sponsor Chair for PUMP, a tutor at the Virginia Tech Writing Center, and I volunteered for the American Water Resources Organization (AWRA). 

What are you passionate about or what are your hobbies:

 In my free time, I love to be outdoors whether I’m hiking or playing soccer or pickleball. I also love watching new shows (I’m a huge fan of Invincible at the moment) and playing Pokémon.

What made you decide to choose BIT as your major and why did you choose your option (DSS, OSM, CMA):

I chose the CMA major because my dad is involved in cybersecurity, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps without committing to a super heavily technical degree such as computer science. I love the managerial aspect of business and working with spreadsheets, but also really enjoy the purpose and impact behind cybersecurity, so I was super glad to find a degree that combined both.

Tips/advice for student success:

Try hard at school but try harder at creating memories and building your core network of people that will transcend the short few years you’ll spend here!