Lara Suarez, a cyber operations engineer at The MITRE Corporation, won an award for her professional achievements at a science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) conference in the nation's capital this February.
The presenter of the award was Kerry Buckley, vice president of Air Force programs within the Center for Programs and Technology at The Mitre Corporation.
MITRE operates federally funded research and development centers across government to tackle challenges to the safety, stability, and well-being of the United States.
"Lara Suarez is a force. She’s a decorated U.S. Army veteran having earned a Bronze Star in 2007," said Buckley.
"A cybersecurity threat intelligence expert, leader, volunteer, and scholar-athlete, Lara set herself apart with her commitment to excellence. When she deployed with the first all-women officer led Military Police Company in Iraq, she developed a training camp for Iraqi officers focused on community policing and specialized training. Today, she’s advancing national security with cybersecurity innovations, including those in the cyber-space domain."
In her acceptance speech, Suarez said growing up she had little understanding of careers in STEM. It wasn't until she joined the U.S. Army that she got to see the full range of possibilities.
"My MITRE career has allowed me to flourish and support national security from multiple perspectives," she said. "None of this would be possible without the sacrifices of many generations of my family and without my heroes, who got me through times of self-doubt."
Suarez gives back by helping others who can’t see their potential.
"My message: Never shut the door on career opportunities, no matter how impossible they seem," she said.
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