Cybersecurity graduate continues to raise the bar for herself

When it came time to decide which college to attend, Melissa Lopez-Barbosa didn’t have to look very far at all.

Growing up in Ellensburg, she always figured CWU would be part of her future. But after visiting a few other schools in Washington and out of state, she decided that staying close to home was the best long-term option for her.

“My parents told me they would be able to support me a lot more if I stayed in Ellensburg, where the only thing I would have to worry about was tuition,” said Lopez-Barbosa, who received her Information Technology Management (ITAM) degree, with a specialization in cybersecurity, on June 8. “In the end, I chose CWU because of my support system on campus and in the community.”

Lopez-Barbosa enrolled in the Running Start program during her junior year at Ellensburg High School, thinking that she wanted to go into computer science. Once she realized that math wasn’t her strong suit, she shifted her focus toward ITAM with the help of a CWU advisor.

That decision ended up paving the way for what has become a promising career in the cybersecurity field.

“I took an introductory information technology class with Professor David Douglas during freshman year, and that just confirmed my belief that I was meant to be in this major,” Lopez-Barbosa said. “The ITAM program ended up being everything I could have dreamed of. It was a perfect fit for me.”

One of Lopez-Barbosa’s main goals when enrolling at Central was to join the Douglas Honors College (DHC), but gaining acceptance into the prestigious academic program didn’t come easy. It took Lopez-Barbosa three attempts to secure her spot — an accomplishment that gives her tremendous pride.

“After getting rejected the first two times, I worked with my cousin — who was about to graduate from a different school — on improving my application,” she said. “She helped me write a better essay, making it more clear and concise. When I finally got accepted on my third try, that showed me that I was meant to be an Honors College Wildcat.”

Lopez-Barbosa explained that she has always enjoyed pushing herself, which made the DHC a priority for her as she prepared for college life.

“I like to go all-in with everything I do, and I really wanted the extra challenge the honors college would provide,” she said. “I was ready to put in a little extra effort because I knew that would allow me to thrive as I prepared for my career.”

Career-Ready

While Lopez-Barbosa excelled in the classroom, she also sought out opportunities to improve her skills as a CWU employee, holding a variety of career-related jobs during her four years. Her on-campus positions included working as an IT assistant with Enterprise Support Systems, a security services intern with Information Services, and a student program coordinator with IS — all of which gave her valuable hands-on experience.

One of her most significant projects was leading the 2023 Multifactor Authentication (MFA) initiative, which incorporated more than 20,000 CWU accounts. That work prepared her to contribute to a major identity and access management initiative for CWU employees during the recently completed academic year.

“The work we did will help all new full-time employees have access to any shared drives and other network access they need to do their jobs,” she said. “It used to take extra time for new employees to have access to everything they needed, but the work we did should make the onboarding process go a lot more smoothly.”

Lopez-Barbosa has already begun her master’s degree program at UW-Tacoma this summer and has dreams of one day working for the federal government. She has already served as the interim secretary for the Evergreen chapter of FBI InfraGard, and she considers working for the U.S. government her ultimate goal.

“I would love to serve our nation,” she said. “But I would also be happy building my connections in the Seattle area for a few years until an opportunity with the government becomes available. I’m just excited to get started.”

Lopez-Barbosa is confident that the real-world experience she gained at CWU will propel her toward a rewarding career, no matter where she ends up.

“The biggest thing I will take away from CWU is the supportive environment that showed me how much I could achieve if I put my heart into it,” she said. “At first, I thought I was just going to get a bachelor’s degree. But through the support system I have built here, I realized that I can do so much more.”

Building Personal Strength

As Lopez-Barbosa begins her career journey beyond the safe confines of her hometown, she looks back on her time at CWU as being instrumental in her development.

By participating in various student clubs and attending the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) national conference the past two years, she was able to grow as a person as well as a professional.

“The CWU community is increasingly diverse; you just have to look for ways to get involved,” she said. “Going to USHLI the first time really helped me connect with who I am as a Mexican-American. That inspired me to get involved in student clubs on campus, like the Latinx Student Organization and MEChA. Those groups have provided me with a lot of wonderful connections in the Hispanic community.”

Lopez-Barbosa said her involvement in the Latinx Student Organization and MEChA — along with a return trip to USHLI last winter — have given her a fresh perspective on her cultural heritage. She now believes she can make a difference.

“I feel like I’ve been able to get closer to my roots over the past two years,” she said. “Now, I’m looking for ways that I can advance those ideas and go even further.”

Lopez-Barbosa noted that CWU’s efforts to become more culturally diverse have resonated with her and her peers. And while there is still work to be done, she has seen evidence that Central is heading in a positive direction with its commitment to DEI.

“When I first started here, I had no idea how many people and programs there were to support people like me,” she said. “But after I got more involved, I realized there are so many people here who want to help. I had a lot of great experiences and made a lot of friends here because I found a way to get involved.”