Momoka Kinder is a cybersecurity graduate from Nagoya, Japan. She was first exposed to cybersecurity when her professor at a community college encouraged her to join the Cyber Defence team.

“I was instantly hooked by the thrill of working with gamified and simulated cybersecurity problems. The same professor told me that NKU would be launching a brand-new Bachelor of Science degree in Cybersecurity in 2020, so I was determined to pursue that degree,” shares Kinder.

Driven and passionate, Kinder took every chance to expose herself to the limitless opportunities that NKU offered, through volunteering at events, internships and student research. With the support and encouragement of faculty members, Kinder and her research partner established a Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) chapter at NKU, aiming to connect students to various workshops, resources and even scholarship opportunities.

Kinder has come a long way from not knowing anything about her field, thanks to the advice and guidance she received along the way. Her advice to future NKU students: Don’t pass on the opportunities you find at NKU. “Connections I made in the NKU Cyber Defence team (NKCyber) landed me my dream internship at Kroger which later became a full-time job. I got all these opportunities because of NKU,” says Kinder, now a security engineer at Kroger.

Momoka Kinder

Cybersecurity