SSenior Connor Ferguson has been at St. Luke’s since PK3 (about 14-years!) He was selected to be the Ethical Hacking and Systems Defense Intern for the 2021-2022 school year. Connor will attempt to uncover security vulnerabilities within the St. Luke’s website and various databases. The internship is modeled after upper level higher education courses that challenge students to apply their classroom knowledge into real world scenarios. In addition to studying the efficacy of our current security measures, Connor will develop and present professional security and proof of concept reports.

During his internship, Connor hopes to learn even more about web security to gain both practical insights and technical ones that will help with his future career. After he graduates from St. Luke’s, Connor hopes to attend a college that provides an amazing computer science education, such as Rice. His goal is to learn and build projects with people that have similar interests. After Connor finishes his undergraduate degree, he hopes to pursue a higher degree or work with a startup company that is doing work in areas that he is passionate about, like the decentralization of the internet.

St. Luke’s is happy to provide internships as they are invaluable experiences for high school students. Internships provide very specific experiences for students interested in a certain path. They not only help resumes stand out to admissions committees and future employers, but they also demonstrate that our students are spending time learning and working with others. Furthermore, internships teach important skills that students will need in any field.

According to an annual survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 91 percent of employers said candidate experience is a factor in hiring decisions. Nearly half of surveyed employers wanted experience to come from internships or co-op programs. An internship is the best way to be immersed in a real-world environment, nothing can replace hands-on experiences. We are blessed to provide Connor with this experience to help him further develop his knowledge that he will benefit him in college and life.