Stav Setty is the curly-haired go-getter sitting in the first row of the Cyber Security and Advanced Programming track at ITC. At the age of 22 years old, Stav took the next step of her life (one she had been dreaming of for years) and moved to Israel, her new home, from Atlanta, Georgia. Stav studied Information Systems at the University of Georgia and later pursued a non-degree Computer Science program at New York University. Her enthusiasm and excitement to join the Cyber Fellowship program at ITC is infectious.
We sat down with Stav to hear more about how she’s on her path to fulfilling her dreams in the tech world.
How did your interest for cybersecurity start? Were you always interested in this field? If not, why did you transition?
I’ve been hooked to coding ever since my first “Hello World” program. Seeing a creation come to life is a really great feeling.
I discovered this sheer joy in developing programs that solve problems as a young girl. I taught myself to code when I was 13 years old and over the years I’ve recognized that I need a technology-oriented career that enables me to constantly learn and overcome new challenges.
Cybersecurity is an ideal industry for me due to the ever-changing nature of technologies, threats, and new risks in this space that are created each day.
Why did you decide to join this ITC program? What made you choose ITC over other training providers?
When I was planning my Aliyah, I researched all the various academic and non-academic programs in Israel that could serve my passion. Out of them all, I found that the ITC Cyber Fellows program would best enable me to embark on my journey to implement real world cyber security solutions in Israel. ITC was the perfect opportunity to further develop these technical skills and get my foot in the Israeli tech industry.
I really like the hands-on and broad curriculum ranging from reverse engineering to software development to operating system internals and much more. This truly is an incredible program and I couldn’t be happier with my choice.
What’s one piece of advice that you would give to aspiring women in tech?
Believe in yourself. Be confident. Don’t ever think that men are better at coding than you.
Unfortunately this industry is still very male dominated, and you’ll often find yourself in situations where you’re the only woman in a room full of men. No matter what, don’t ever be afraid to voice your opinions.
How can women get the most out of the ITC experience, and how can they best get ready for their next job during the training?
Never stop learning. Complete as many exercises as possible. At the end of the day, ITC is what you put into it.
Also be open to learning from others, hearing different viewpoints, and developing new ways of thinking.
What has been your proudest achievement in this field so far? (A cool project you worked on, a topic you wanted to learn, a challenge you overcame)
Achieving academic success and graduating summa cum laude honors as one of the few women in my information systems bachelor’s program was a big accomplishment for me.
I’m also proud to have been accepted into a few of my dream cybersecurity masters programs and will most likely start at New York University in the near future.
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
There’s never a line for the women’s restroom, which is a welcome change. More importantly, I’m proud to have the opportunity to change the tech scene and become a positive influence.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not coding?
When I’m not coding, I love to travel and experience new places and cultures. I’m also lucky to live in this beautiful country and try to explore it as much as I can.
What’s next for you? Where would you love to see yourself in a few years?
I would love to see myself working as a Cyber Security Engineer with a skill set across the various cybersecurity disciplines. Above all else, I would love to work for a company that enables me to learn new things every day while doing meaningful work that helps people.
Join the ever-growing community of women in tech and apply to study either Full-Stack Development or Data Science. Ask us about the Cheryl Saban Self Worth Scholarship!