Martina Taylor, a Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) cybersecurity engineer is a passionate advocate for education, technology and healthcare for developing countries.
Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from Morgan State University. In 2017, she entered into the school’s Master of Engineering in Cyber Engineering (MECE) program which is supported by Naval Sea Systems Command.
The MECE program allowed Taylor to acclimate quickly to her future career at NSWCDD. She had the opportunity to meet her team, know which branch she would be representing and exactly the kind of work she would be doing.
“The preparation and guidance provided by NSWCDD created an environment for me to know exactly the type of cybersecurity work that I was expected to do once I completed my classes with MECE. I was able to prepare myself from the outside looking in,” said Taylor.
Today, Taylor is a cybersecurity engineer within the Combat Systems Cyber Engineering Branch at NSWCDD. “I like to tell people that I only I became an engineer because I had the resources provided to me, which allowed my eyes to be opened to my possible future,” said Taylor.
Her cybersecurity engineering background and NSWCDD work inspired her to give back to her community through Breaking Boundaries with Innovation (BBI). Taylor founded BBI in early 2019. The organization’s purpose is to create a way to promote technology-based education for developing countries, along with arranging healthcare support for families in need. “Our goal with BBI is to bridge the gap for students in developing countries, so they may have access to the same level of education and technology as other students worldwide,” said Taylor.
As a native of West Africa’s Sierra Leone, Taylor emphasizes her desire to “bring those opportunities to the kids in Africa, especially in West Africa, so that they can know there is endless amounts of opportunities out there for them. The world of technology could always use more engineers and scientists, and I want to help open the door to those possibilities.”
BBI brings those resources to children at a young age to help them shape a better future. “I wanted to promote, supply and bring the same resources that I was presented into my community,” explained Taylor.
“I could not be more grateful to have the chance to work here at Dahlgren, the last five years has provided more opportunities than I could have ever asked for,” said Taylor. “I am forever thankful for the doors that have been opened since joining the NSWCDD team.”