My parents weren’t surprised when I finally decided to start my third year of college as a Computer Science major. Throughout my teens, I’d considered becoming a doctor, an engineer, or even an author, but I’d always had a lifelong fascination with technology. Amidst headlines about cyberattacks of unprecedented scale and severity, I knew as soon as I declared my major that I eventually wanted to work in cybersecurity.
What I didn’t know at the time was that my future career would have anything to do with mainframes. In fact, I didn’t really know what a mainframe was.
The SHARE Invitation That Changed Everything
During the last year of my degree, I found out that one of my professors was planning a university-sponsored trip to a mainframe conference. My only impression of mainframes at the time was that they were large computers that had something to do with processing digital transactions, and that I wasn’t interested.
However, my mom convinced me to go by saying that the worst that could happen was that I’d have a boring week, and my dad agreed. After hearing those last words of encouragement, and with one final nudge from a friend, I tepidly asked my professor if it was too late to register. Thankfully, there was still time, and I joined the travel group at the last minute.
As it turned out, the conference we were attending was SHARE—and it would soon become one of the most impactful networking events I’d ever experienced.
Changing My Mind About Mainframes
At the conference, I met welcoming mainframers at every stage of their professional journey, including Neal Cash and David Bond from the Broadcom Vitality Program’s leadership, as well as several Vitality Residents. I quickly discovered that mainframes are not only modern but also critical infrastructure for industries like retail, finance, and healthcare, completely dismantling my misconceptions about the platform.
A few months later, I spent the summer working on a mainframe internship for another vendor I’d met at SHARE and realized that I’d found my true calling.
Finding My Passion for Cybersecurity
As I entered the final semester of my bachelor’s degree, I looked into applying for the Vitality Program. One of my friends had been accepted into a previous cohort after also discovering the program at SHARE, and it struck me as a great opportunity.
When all was said and done, I was invited to interview just as my final exams approached and I began the Vitality Program about a week after walking across the stage at graduation.
Discovering the Broadcom Vitality Program
In many ways, the Vitality Program felt like my college classes, but smaller and with dedicated mentorship to ensure we were thoroughly supported at every stage. In hindsight, the sheer volume of information we covered over just a few months was impressive.
I gained a solid foundation in skills such as navigating ISPF, writing JCL, REXX programming, and more through practical exercises and hands-on assignments. Although there was a lot of new content to absorb, the instructors were always readily available to help.
I was also grateful that we were able to attend SHARE through the program, giving the group the chance to have their own eye-opening experiences like I’d had the year before.
Learning by Doing
After completing our foundational and intermediate classes, I began my product training on ACF2 and was assigned a mentor from the ACF2 Support team. I gained valuable insights from shadowing him and the team over the following weeks, which helped me develop a deeper understanding of how this security product is used in real-world environments.
Ultimately, my transition from the Vitality Program to my current role began when an opportunity arose to join Broadcom full-time as a Technical Consultant.
Now, around a year later, I’ve come to understand how this program holistically sets its residents up for success. I’ve continued to learn, grow, and settle into both my position and my budding mainframe career, surrounded by coworkers who support me every step of the way.
Thanks to the Vitality Program, I can take pride in knowing that I help secure some of the most important computing infrastructure in the world.