Seneca Alumni

An internarial journey for cybersecurity star Sharon Okpala

SHARON OKPALA has enjoyed a successful career in IT and cybersecurity since graduating from Seneca’s Computer Networking and Technical Support diploma program. A look at Ms. Okpala’s transcript reveals a perfect GPA during her time at Seneca.

She completed a co-op placement with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where she was recognized for her excellent performance and was rewarded with a position in the bank’s IT department. Yet, Ms. Okpala never actually intended to work in the IT field. It was a twist of fate that led her from studying industrial chemistry in Nigeria in the early 2000s to filling an open IT position. While she had no formal training, Ms. Okpala took the job and never looked back, transferring to the company’s Toronto branch in 2012. Ms. Okpala was managing and implementing IT Infrastructure in her previous role and became interested in how routers and switches worked. That led her to Seneca. “I wanted to understand computer networking,” she said. “My first job was a great experience, but I wanted foundational knowledge. I chose Seneca because I knew they’d teach me what I needed to know.” Seneca equipped Ms. Okpala with the knowledge and experience to succeed in her new career, but she did not expect to be teaching too. During her studies, Ms. Okpala became a peer tutor, assisting her fellow classmates.

In addition to various scholarships, Ms. Okpala was also awarded the Laura Flanagan Memorial Award for her outstanding contributions to Seneca student life as a peer mentor, a peer tutor and to her community, where she volunteered at various charity organizations to promote self-confidence, peace, love and inclusiveness, especially within the Black community. “It’s important to me to give back to my world, community and any place I find myself, including Seneca,” Ms. Okpala said. “My reward was the thanks I got from other students.”

At Seneca, Ms. Okpala also developed a passion for cybersecurity. After RBC, she joined GoSecure, a cybersecurity service provider, where she is responsible for investigating and remediating high-level incidents for GoSecure’s many clients in North America. As well, Ms. Okpala is now a Canadian citizen and continues to give back by empowering the Black community, youth and others who are underserved.

Reflecting on her international journey, Ms. Okpala notes that although the learning environment was completely new, it was a challenge she was ready to face. “It was difficult to adjust, but I like challenges,” she said. “I believe if somebody else can do it, I can do it too. If no one has done it, I can be the first to do it. My mentality is positivity over adversity. I don’t want to just do my best. I want to excel.”