Teri Green- Manson

I attribute my success to my faith, my resilience, and my path. I have a level of awareness where I don't allow my ego to creep in, because I call ego 'ease and guide out.' I'm really intentional about what I do, and I do everything predicated on impact. I don't know why, but it's probably because I went through the foster system - somehow, I've functioned really, really well under pressure. Those things don't break me, so I try to prepare myself to be able to make sure that when no pressure exists, I can still be able to function in the same manner.

The imposter syndrome only exists when you don't know who you are, so I tell people all the time, it's power in getting to know who you are. I do mirror work. I introduce myself to myself every day. So just take out a moment to introduce yourself to yourself, because if people don't accept you at your worst, they'll never accept you at your best.

If you can dream it, you can become it. I tell people all the time, sometimes limitations only exist within one's mind. We as people have to truly make sure that - and I'm not saying that when you come out of school, you're gonna know exactly what you want to be - but don't be afraid. Sometimes you just gotta jump in the deep end. If you know you can't swim, wear a life vest, but just take the leap.

I think the biggest challenge is that we still have to call it what it is - there is a large gap in any technology industry, but this is inclusive to the cybersecurity industry as well, where there are only 10% of women that are in leadership, and when it looks like a woman that looks directly like me, it's less than 1%. So we have to still be able to kind of advocate and bridge those barriers and gaps. That's something we're still trying to battle today, yet women are the strongest from a scalability perspective. I think women and men need to work in tandem to be able to achieve something we've never achieved before. So I think that's one of the gaps - women being able to not only put the power to walk through the door, but figure out ways to hold the door open for the next woman. As for opportunities, I see opportunities in everything we do. I'm solution-oriented. I used to tell people all the time, don't tell me the problems, come with a solution. There always can be a solution to it. I always try to find those moments when I can advocate. Right now, I led an opportunity here in the state of Missouri where I'm working with Maryville University. We're thinking about how we need to be able to propel the cybersecurity gap. We had 150 high schoolers that we want them to be able to see the cybersecurity program, so I'm moderating Capture of the Flags to be able to make it intriguing. The coolest thing is we had to cut it off at 150 students because it was over 300 students that applied to do the first one, so now I'm doing my second capture for those students. Who would have thought that many kids were interested in it if we never put it out there? So just finding different ways to reach the community.

The one thing school doesn't teach is confidence, and that's the only true way - is to flex that confidence muscle - is being able to break down the barriers that you place before yourself, not others.