Clarksville, TN – Arielle Lawrence was always fascinated by programming, and she taught herself how to code in high school by designing software like a Hangman clone, citation generator, and memory card matching game.
Her dedication led her to attend Austin Peay State University (APSU) as a first-generation college student, and now she is applying her skills as a cybersecurity intern with the Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration.
“I’m excited about the experience and getting to know the field firsthand,” said Lawrence, a sophomore double-majoring in mathematics and computer science. “I love all the hands-on projects that I’ve been assigned. I’m doing a lot of Excel-based data analysis, and I’ve gotten to see what the auditing processes and federal cybersecurity frameworks look like.”
Lawrence’s responsibilities include making sure data is accurate, assisting with security documentation and researching best practices for protecting information systems. She plans to become a data scientist after graduation, and the internship has helped prepare her for the field.
“So far, I’ve been able to use my programming skills to automate certain tools,” she said. “Instead of doing something manually by hand that would take hours, I can program it to take seconds. I feel like it’s strengthened my attention to detail and my analytical skills, and I’ve also learned what it means to be on a professional team.”
Sharpening her soft skills has been among the most valuable parts of the internship for Lawrence, who recently led her first professional meeting as part of the Vulnerability Management Advisory Board.
“Those involve reviewing newly identified software vulnerabilities and discussing the appropriate responses,” she said. “When they first told me I’d be running one I was nervous, but throughout the past couple of months I’ve been training for it. I got to run a mock meeting the week before, and that went very well.”
Lawrence is using that experience to grow more confident as a speaker and take on more leadership roles at Austin Peay State University. She is currently involved with the Honors Program, the President’s Emerging Leaders Program, and the Helping Paws student organization, and plans to become a peer leader.
“Starting college meant there was a lot of new information thrown at me at once,” she said. “Being in the Honors Program helped me a lot, and in PELP I was assigned a sophomore mentor. If I ever needed anything, she’d know what to do. I saw how much having a peer leader helped me, and I want to be there for others in the same way.”
Having those resources was especially helpful for Lawrence as a first-generation college student. She said APSU’s students, faculty and staff have all helped her feel at home in a new environment.
“My mom didn’t finish college, so she always stressed to me that it was something I had to do,” she said. “I took that to heart, and I’ve enjoyed my experience so far. I don’t think she was wrong about that, especially since I want to go into the tech field.”
Lawrence was drawn to Austin Peay State University because it offered her independence while being close to home, and after taking a campus tour she knew it was the right decision.
“I enjoyed learning about APSU’s computer science program when I was a prospective student,” said Lawrence, who is originally from Dickson County. “It felt like home the second I stepped on campus, and I know that’s rare to find.”
Her faculty mentors include Dr. Saeed Samadidana, associate professor of computer science; Dr. Kriti Chauhan, assistant professor of computer science; and Dr. Timothy Winters, executive director of Honors and PELP.
“A lot of the connections I’ve made have been here in the Honors Program, and from all sorts of majors,” Lawrence said. “I’m part of the Honors and Pelp Student Advisory Council (HPC), so I’ll be running the academic events in the Honors Program.”
That involves building relationships with students and professors who can present on interesting topics – another area where the confidence Lawrence is gaining through her internship is paying off.
“I want to work on my soft skills more than my technical skills, especially speaking confidently,” she said. “I’ve gotten to see firsthand how communication, collaboration, and accountability all work together, and I’ve developed a strong sense of how teamwork presents itself in a technical setting.”The internship’s supportive working environment has also resonated with Lawrence, who plans to pay the opportunity forward by helping others – whether as a leader on campus or a professional in her field.
“One of the first things my supervisor did was give me a letter filled with advice that was written by the intern before me,” Lawrence said. “He told me the tradition is for the previous intern to pass down what they learned, and at the end of my internship I’ll be doing the same thing. I immediately knew the environment I was in was the right place for me.”
