Editorial: Central Jr. ROTC students win cybersecurity competition

Seven students from Cape Girardeau Central High School recently won the Cyberpatriot XIII Challenge.

The students, all members of the school's Air Force Junior ROTC "Flying Tigers" unit, won the All-Service Division of the cybersecurity competition -- the second such win in school history.

Nick Hodges, commander and logistics officer of the Flying Tigers, told the Southeast Missourian the competition presents an operating system to participants who are challenged to find vulnerabilities and make the computers more secure.

Central Jr. ROTC advisor and retired Air Force Col. Michael L. Goodin said there are 6 million unfilled jobs in cybersecurity that are well paid positions, some with starting salaries as high as $80,000 per year.

We've long admired the Jr. ROTC program at Central High, and watching these students excel in cybersecurity endeavors is equally impressive. They're using their high school tenure to gain tremendous experience and build a resume for the future. No doubt if they choose to pursue careers in cybersecurity, this experience will have been of tremendous value.