CyManII empowers next generation of cybersecurity pros through gamified training
June 12, 2025
Imagine going on a mission where you’re assigned to stop an ecopolitical cyberattack triggered by a network of hackers from across the globe – and you’re only 11 years old.
That’s just one of the real-world scenarios that students at Northside ISD’s Zachry Middle School experienced during the school’s inaugural Camp Code program in early June. Funded by a grant from the Texas Workforce Commission, the program was designed to introduce students to different career paths, including information technology, manufacturing and cybersecurity.
Staff members from the Cybersecurity Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) were on hand to lead the experience and guide students through the world of digital defense inside the institute’s Mobile Training Vehicle (MTV). In the MTV, CyManII staff introduced students to the fundamentals of cybersecurity through a cyber warfare computer game created by the Cyber Warrior Network.
Through interactive lessons, students got the opportunity to gain practical skills in building and safeguarding technology and develop critical thinking. It’s an empowering way to prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals as they move through an increasingly connected world.
“Students like the ones who participated in today’s lesson prove that our future is bright in cybersecurity,” said Vincent Rendon, CyManII operational technology instructor. “Their technical aptitude was impressive. If they’re this capable at 11, imagine what they’ll be doing by the time they start college.”
Alvaro Espinosa, CyManII facility engineer, gave credit to the faculty at Northside ISD for seeking out innovative ways to expose students to emerging fields like cybersecurity at such an early age.
“This is awareness for the future generation of technicians and manufacturers involved in cybersecurity,” Espinosa said. “We are helping to prepare these students for the evolving challenges of the digital age and giving them the tools to secure technology.”
One of the cybersecurity leaders at Northside ISD spearheading the initiative is Matthew Patty, cybersecurity and global communications magnet school director. Patty has been instrumental in showing students the different technology-focused career paths they can choose from.
“These students come here to dip their toes into cybersecurity and to get a good basis of understanding behind cybersecurity theory and coding,” Patty said. “I’m excited to see how far we can go with this. We’d like to introduce CyManII to other schools [in the district], students and the entire community.”
Manuel Vallejo, a cybersecurity teacher in the district, said that inviting CyManII to participate in the camp would give them a skillset they could use in any industry they decide to work in. It’s important to equip students with hands-on experience that reflects real-world challenges and technologies they’ll encounter in the workforce.
“Every occupation requires some level of cybersecurity training because everything is at risk,” Vallejo said. “We want them to be prepared. For these students, having something like the training that CyManII offers is very engaging.”
For more information on CyManII’s Mobile Training Vehicle, email [email protected].
