Finding Greatness: Coby Roye

Author: News Bureau
Posted: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 12:00 AM
Categories: School of Computing | Finding Greatness | Students

Macon, GA

IT major Coby Roye is a cybersecurity intern for the Georgia Tech Research Institute, president of the Cyber Knights student organization, and a leadership program participant through the MGA Center for Career & Leadership Development.

Full Name: Coby Roye.

Age: 21.

Hometown: Queens, N.Y.

Residence: Grayson, Ga.

High School: “I graduated from Central Gwinnett High School. I was captain of the varsity football team and took numerous technology and engineering classes.”

Family: “I want to thank my mother and sister for their support in anything I put my mind to. And I want to thank my fiancé because I would not be at Middle Georgia State and have all of the opportunities that I have received, or be as successful, without her.”

Employment: “I am a full-time student and I work as a cybersecurity Intern for the Georgia Tech Research Institute.”

Degree Objective: Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in cybersecurity.

Class Rank: Sophomore.

Activities:

• Student Ambassador for the School of Computing.
• President of the Cyber Knights club.
• President and founder of the Knight Chess Club.
• Secretary of the Honors Student Association.
• Association of Information Technology Students member.
• Member, MGA’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success.
• iLead Peer Educator for the Center for Career & Leadership Development.

Career Goals: “My ultimate career goal is to become a chief Information security officer (CISO) for a government agency or a company. I chose this because in June 2023 I took a domestic study abroad trip hosted by the School of Computing that focused on cybersecurity. During one of our seminars, we were informed about the multiple career pathways one could take in the cybersecurity profession and the description of a CISO resonated with me the most.”

He chose Middle Georgia State University because … “During the spring of 2022, my mother was completely cancer-free and, as her primary caregiver, I was finally able to go back to school after dropping out of Georgia State University in 2020 when she was diagnosed. In the process of applying to schools, I was consistently rejected. I thought it was too late for me to go back to school. But then my now- fiancé discovered MGA, just down the road from her school, Mercer University. When I received the acceptance letter, I was ecstatic that I was finally given the opportunity to show off my academic skills and how I can contribute to a university community. I am now more than blessed to call MGA a second home.”

The greatest thing he discovered about Middle Georgia State was … “How adamant professors, faculty, and staff are at ensuring that every student is given the tools needed to be successful, not only in the classroom but in whatever career we choose to pursue. I specifically want to give kudos to Dr. Monica Miller, Dr. Matt Jennings, Dr. Scott Spangler, and Rafael Vilamil. Each one of them has personally helped me unlock parts of my mind and capabilities that I had not previously been able to access. Due to their compassion, intellect, and motivation, I have been more successful than I could have imagined.  There are others that I did not mention but I am forever grateful for them. It is not mentioned enough how the professors, faculty, and staff raise and uphold the standards of MGA and that they are the true foundation of this University.”

His greatest academic experience as a Middle Georgia State student has been … “Taking Dr. Jennings’s Honors History since 1865 course and Dr. Miller’s Honors English 1102. Outside of computers and math, I love history and writing and both professors were exceptional at teaching me about the two. What I appreciated most about the courses was that they not only challenged me but also gave me the opportunity to push my critical-thinking skills past their limits to better understand and articulate history and literature.

“In the history class, Dr. Jennings predicated his course on interpreting history accurately and using critical thinking to understand the interconnectedness of American history. With that in mind, I was highly pleased when he gave me the green light to go as extensively into research as I wanted for our final term paper. For my paper, I wrote about the history of the Black Panther Party. I wrote about the same topic in English 1102; however, because it was an introductory level course, all that I wanted to say was limited. So, for Dr. Jennings’s class, I wanted to revisit the topic to demonstrate not only to him but to me the amount of research I did and everything I learned. His course expanded my mind and helped me view history from different perspectives.

“In the English class, Dr. Miller gave me a newfound appreciation of poetry. She made her class intriguing by giving the historical context behind the poems to create another layer of depth. Poets such as Langston Hughes or Robert Frost and their respective time in history gave me a different perspective to view their work. Dr. Miller was persistent at making sure that we had open discourse during her lectures which created an environment of though provoking conversations amongst classmates.”

To him, greatness means … “It’s defined by discipline and consistency. I say this because of the quote from the astounding actor, Denzel Washington, when he says, ‘Dreams without goals are just dreams and they ultimately fuel disappointment. On the road to achieving your dream, you must apply discipline, but more importantly, consistency. Because, without commitment, you’ll never start, and without consistency, you’ll never finish.’ I apply this to every aspect of my life, whether it be academic, professional, physical, or spiritual, because it is the formula to success. I look at some of the most successful people in the world and whenever they are asked how they got to where they are, those two aspects are always alluded to. So I have learned that anything worth achieving, especially greatness, will come with obstacles and will require me to stay disciplined and consistent.”

In five years … “I hope to be working as cybersecurity analyst for a company or perhaps the Department of Defense. More importantly, I hope to be married to my fiancé. I know that work and my professional life will take care of themselves, so I just hope that in the next five years I am a better husband, son, and man than I am now. In all honesty, that is what I value most and I know that the path that I am on now will lead me to where I want to be.”