MEDIA, Pa. — For the first time in campus history, four Penn State Brandywine students competed in the National Cyber League Competition from Nov. 7-9 and walked away with an incredible score.
Christopher Kenny, Kylie Reiner, Ben Schwartz and Sebastion Ulloa — known as the “Brandywine Brawlers” — were the four students who represented Team Brandywine in the competition.
With support and sponsorship from the Brandywine Technology Club, the team brought their A-game and remained focused on placing as high as possible, despite being one of the smaller teams in the event.
“The competition required students to demonstrate skills in various cybersecurity fields such as cryptography/password cracking, ethical hacking, packet analysis, log analysis, open-source intelligence (OSINT) and other areas,” said Pamela King, instructor of information sciences and technology.
These areas of IT can be extremely challenging, contributing to the competitive nature of the event. However, they are among the many topics students encounter in their coursework, positioning them as strong contenders.
On the organization’s website, a Penn State student noted, “NCL is one of the first activities where I felt like I can actually apply what I learn in my classes. The satisfaction I get from figuring out a difficult challenge is unmatched.”
As a result of developing the necessary skills through their coursework, entering the event well-prepared and collaborating as an exceptional team, the “Brandywine Brawlers” placed in the top 10% of teams in the competition — making for an unforgettable first experience at the National Cyber League Competition.