SAN ANTONIO – The Port San Antonio internship program is offering high school students a unique opportunity to explore potential careers in industries vital to the local community.
This summer, the students from Edgewood ISD and South San ISD interning at Port San Antonio are visiting various companies on the campus, including CyManII, a cybersecurity manufacturing innovation institute.
“I never really knew much about STEM or cybersecurity, but now that I’m here, I’m learning so much. I am learning how it impacts the world in a lot of ways,” Belen Alvarado, a South San High School student said.
CyManII is dedicated to educating manufacturing companies about cybersecurity threats.
It has a mobile training vehicle that gives companies the opportunity to learn to detect, identify and address cyber threats.
“We can simulate live attacks. Teams can come in and practice responding to the attack,” Joe Mallen, the director of experiential learning of the cyber range said.
The institute was established by UTSA in 2020 through funding from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office.
“There’s definitely a lot of opportunities in cyber security, but different specialty areas. Students can study forensics, detection,” Mallen said.
Ten students who are part of the internship program this year are engaging with local companies and learning about cutting edge technologies, including Antonio Roque, who wants to be an engineer.
“Being able to come here and see the engineering side and aerospace, especially with the airplanes because we are next to the base, I found it very interesting. Especially because I want to go in aerospace. It was pretty fun,” said Antonio Roque, a South San High School student said.
The students will also be visiting other local companies specializing in aerospace and robotics.