PirateQ 
PSC alumna Connar McCasland is a cybersecurity educator and workforce development professional at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity and AI.
Connar McCasland sees working in cybersecurity as more than protecting networks and data from attacks. It is also about effective communication and helping people and organizations understand how to manage risks in an increasingly complex digital world, a perspective she developed as a student at Pensacola State College.
She was among the first graduates to complete PSC’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Cybersecurity program in 2020. She also holds a Master of Science in Information Assurance and Cybersecurity from Capella University, along with more than a dozen professional cybersecurity certifications, including CISSP and CISM.
As a PSC student, she served as president of the Cyber Defense Club and established a Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) chapter. She was also a member of Phi Theta Kappa and the National Technical Honor Society.
Today, she is a cybersecurity educator and workforce development professional at the University of West Florida Center for Cybersecurity and AI. She serves on the College Board AP Cybersecurity Development Committee, is a board member of IT Gulf Coast, and serves as social media coordinator for WiCyS Florida. She has spoken at conferences including WiCyS, DEF CON and Ekoparty.
Before joining UWF, she led cybersecurity initiatives for Escambia County government, where she learned firsthand that effective cybersecurity requires making complex security challenges understandable and actionable for people across an organization. She brings that perspective to her work as an educator, mentor and speaker who is passionate about making cybersecurity accessible, approachable and practical.
McCasland, who first enrolled at PSC as a dual enrollment student from Navarre High School, says the college provided a solid foundation for her career that continues to influence her work.
“Looking back, PSC was where I began developing not only my technical foundation, but also the professional relationships and confidence that would shape my career,” she said. “My instructors challenged me, coached me and shared their professional experiences in ways that helped me understand what a career in cybersecurity could look like. I still carry lessons from them with me today.”
As a student, McCasland worked as a student assistant in the PSC computer lab, providing her first opportunity to gain professional IT experience. That experience led to an IT internship at the U.S. District Courthouse. After graduating, she became an IT technician for the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners, where she continued building relationships and gaining experience that eventually helped her transition into cybersecurity.
“The faculty and staff at PSC played a significant role in helping me recognize my potential. I often felt out of place when I first entered cybersecurity. I was the only woman in some of my classes and did not fit the stereotypical image I had in my head of what a cybersecurity professional should look like. I wasn’t someone who had grown up building computers or working with hardware, and I initially wondered if I really belonged,” McCasland said.
“What stands out most about my classes at PSC is how hands-on the cybersecurity program was for me. Rather than focusing primarily on theoretical concepts, my courses gave me opportunities to actually work directly with the technology and apply what I was learning.
“That hands-on experience made the transition into the workforce much easier. When I entered my first professional IT roles, I wasn’t starting from zero. I already had developed practical skills and learned how to approach problems in a professional environment. That combination of classroom knowledge, hands-on experience and guidance from instructors helped prepare me for the realities of working in cybersecurity.”
As a cybersecurity educator and workforce development professional, McCasland said the cybersecurity field is ever-evolving and has changed dramatically since she entered the workforce, with artificial intelligence becoming a much larger part of the conversation, both as a tool for cybersecurity professionals and as a technology that introduces new risks.
“I think there is a greater need than ever for people to have some level of cybersecurity and AI education,” she said. “Cybersecurity isn’t something that affects just security professionals anymore. From the phones in our pockets to highly secure government and enterprise networks, technology is deeply integrated into every aspect of our lives. Everyone benefits from understanding how to use that technology more securely.”
As a public speaker, McCasland has seen growing interest in cybersecurity, technology and AI, leading to more opportunities to speak to different types of audiences.
“Almost every major news story or emerging technology has some connection to cybersecurity, so there is a growing appetite for people who can explain those topics in an understandable way,” she said. “I particularly enjoy speaking about the more human side of cybersecurity, including the psychology of hacking, social engineering and how people influence security outcomes. I also enjoy making complex or intimidating topics approachable and fun.”