"Yo, Mr. Bass, why you always telling us about passwords when my cousin just got his Instagram hacked anyway?"
That's Jayden, back row, arms crossed, giving me that look every teacher knows – the one that says prove to me this matters. And you know what? He's got a point. His cousin probably had a strong password. Maybe even two-factor authentication. But he still got got.
This is my reality every day teaching cybersecurity to high school students in 60623. These aren't your typical suburban kids worried about college applications. These are young people who've seen their neighbors fall victim to sophisticated scams, watched family members lose money to fake job postings, and lived through the very real consequences of digital vulnerability. They come to my classroom with street smarts that would make most adults jealous, but they're also walking around with "password123" protecting their entire digital lives.
The question isn't whether they need cybersecurity education. The question is: how do you teach it in a way that respects their intelligence, acknowledges their reality, and still gets them excited about a career field most of them didn't even know existed?
Meeting Students Where They Are
Let me be real with you – walking into a classroom full of teenagers and talking about "network protocols" and "threat vectors" is a one-way ticket to losing their attention faster than a dropped WiFi connection. These students are sharp. They can spot fake from a mile away, and they have zero patience for anything that feels like it's talking down to them.
So instead, I start where they already are: social media.
"Put a finger down if you've ever used the same password for multiple accounts," I tell them on day one, borrowing from my pitch presentations. By the time we're done with that exercise, most students are out of fingers and laughing nervously. That's when the real conversation begins.
"Look," I tell them, "you already know more about cybersecurity than you think. You know not to trust that random person sliding into your DMs. You know something's up when your friend starts posting weird links. That's threat detection, y'all. You're already doing cybersecurity – we just need to level it up."
The key is validation first, education second. These students aren't empty vessels waiting to be filled with knowledge. They're digital natives who've been navigating online spaces since they could hold a phone. My job isn't to teach them the internet exists – it's to help them understand how to protect themselves and others in that space, and maybe make some serious money doing it.
The Escalator Analogy in Action
I tell my students all the time: life is like an escalator. Some people step off after high school. Others ride through college. The ambitious few continue on, earn cybersecurity certifications, and secure six-figure jobs starting at $75,000 a year – right here in Chicago.
The hardest part isn't the journey. It's taking that first step.
When I share this analogy, I watch their faces change. Suddenly, we're not just talking about abstract concepts. We're talking about real career paths, real money, real opportunities that exist in their city, for people who look like them, from neighborhoods like theirs.
"Mr. Bass, for real though – people our age making that kind of money?"
That's when I pull up LinkedIn profiles. Real people, real jobs, real salaries. I show them cybersecurity analysts at companies downtown, penetration testers working remotely, information security managers who started exactly where they're sitting now.
But here's the thing about that escalator – you can't just step on and expect to ride to the top without knowing where you're going. That's where the education comes in, and that's where I've learned to get creative.
Making Cybersecurity Real and Relevant
Traditional cybersecurity education talks a lot about corporate networks and enterprise security. That's important, but it doesn't connect with students whose biggest concern might be keeping their little brother from getting scammed out of his birthday money on a fake gaming site.
So we start with what they know. We talk about the scams targeting their grandparents – those "grandson in jail" calls that almost got their neighbor to wire $5,000 to Jamaica. We break down romance scams, job scams, the fake scholarship notifications that look so legitimate they fooled their cousin's friend.
Then we flip the script. "If you can spot these scams," I tell them, "you understand social engineering. If you can explain why they work, you understand human psychology in cybersecurity. If you can teach your grandmother how to avoid them, you can educate end users. These are literally the skills cybersecurity professionals get paid six figures to use."
I've watched students who struggled with traditional academics absolutely light up when we start talking about how scammers think. They get it. They understand manipulation, they recognize patterns, and they have an intuitive sense for when something doesn't feel right. These are natural-born threat analysts – they just never knew there was a name for it, or a career built around it.
The Success Stories That Keep Me Going
James joined my class as a sophomore, barely passing his other subjects but curious about technology. He was that kid who could jailbreak any phone but wasn't sure how to turn that interest into something legitimate. We worked together on his first cybersecurity certification – the CompTIA Security+. He failed the first time. And the second time.
But here's what I love about these students – they don't give up easy. James came back for a third attempt, and when he passed, he didn't just celebrate. He asked, "What's next?"
Today, James is working as a junior security analyst at a downtown firm, making more money at 19 than some college graduates make at 23. But more importantly, he's the bridge back to his community. He comes to my class sometimes to talk to current students, and when he does, you can see that lightbulb moment in their eyes: If James can do it, so can I.
That's the power of representation. When students see someone who looks like them, talks like them, and comes from the same neighborhood succeeding in cybersecurity, it changes everything. Suddenly, it's not some abstract career field for other people. It's a real possibility for them.
Building Bridges, Not Walls
What makes IgCE different is right there in our name – we're intergenerational. While I'm working with high school students on their cybersecurity certifications, we're also helping their grandparents understand email safety, teaching their parents about mobile security, and creating a whole community network of digital awareness.
This isn't just about individual success stories. It's about community protection. When my students go home and update their family's router passwords, explain why clicking that link isn't safe, or help their grandmother set up two-factor authentication, they're not just practicing what they learned – they're becoming community cybersecurity advocates.
And here's something beautiful that happens: the grandparents start asking questions. Real questions. About technology, about careers, about what their grandkids are learning. Suddenly, you have three generations talking about cybersecurity at the dinner table. That's how you create lasting change.
The Real Talk About Barriers
Let me keep it 100 with you – this work isn't easy. These students face barriers that would stop most people cold. Some don't have reliable internet at home. Some are working part-time jobs to help support their families. Some are dealing with situations that would make most adults buckle.
But here's what I've learned: these barriers don't make them weaker. They make them stronger, more resourceful, more determined. A student who's learned to troubleshoot their family's ancient laptop has problem-solving skills that some college graduates never develop. A teenager who's managed their household's finances knows more about risk assessment than most people twice their age.
My job isn't to ignore these challenges or pretend they don't exist. It's to work with them, build around them, and help students see how their lived experiences are actually advantages in the cybersecurity field.
Why This Matters Beyond the Classroom
The cybersecurity industry has a diversity problem. We all know it. And while everyone's talking about pipelines and pathways and initiatives, I'm in the trenches actually building those bridges. Every student I certify, every family I educate, every success story like James – that's how real change happens.
But it's bigger than diversity numbers or feel-good stories. It's about national security. It's about economic opportunity. It's about making sure the people protecting our digital infrastructure understand the communities they're protecting because they come from those communities.
When my students become cybersecurity professionals, they bring perspective that can't be taught in a textbook. They understand social engineering because they've seen it. They recognize manipulation because they've lived it. They know how to communicate with real people about digital safety because they've been doing it their whole lives.
The Call to Step On That Escalator
Here's my challenge to anyone reading this: if you work in cybersecurity, tech, or any field where you've got opportunities to share, don't just talk about diversity and inclusion. Be about it. Come to 60623. Meet these students. See what they're capable of when someone believes in them and gives them the tools to succeed.
If you're a company looking for fresh talent, look here. These students bring creativity, resilience, and perspectives that will make your team stronger. And if you're someone who believes in second chances and first opportunities, support what we're doing at IgCE.
Because at the end of the day, we're not just teaching cybersecurity. We're building a bridge between what is and what's possible. We're taking students who've been told their whole lives that certain careers aren't for people like them, and we're showing them the escalator. We're helping them take that first step.
And once they're on? Man, there's no stopping them.
The escalator's running. The question is: who's ready to step on?
Want to support cybersecurity education in Chicago's underserved communities? Learn more about our programs and how you can get involved at iceprogram.org. Because the future of cybersecurity isn't just about technology – it's about the people protecting it.
