Pursuing a career in research is not typically highlighted for high school students exploring their future options. However, an internship at Arizona State University (ASU) seeks to change this.
This summer, 23 high school students from the Phoenix area participated in an eight-week cybersecurity research internship.
Now in its fourth year, the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations’ summer internship pairs high school students with graduate student mentors from the center and the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, fostering collaborative research on campus.
The program concluded on Tuesday with students presenting their university-level research findings. The event, held at the Brickyard Courtyard in Tempe, drew a crowd of high school, college, and graduate students, professors, and parents. The interns shared their experiences, challenges, and discoveries.
“As an undergraduate, I was unaware of what PhD-level research entailed,” said Adam Doupé, director of the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations. “This program excellently introduces high school students to research.”
ASU, a leading research institution, ranks fifth in the U.S. for research expenditures among universities without a medical school. The cybersecurity internship offers participants exposure to:
- Emerging concepts and technologies
- Leading researchers in a top-tier lab
- Computer science programs for prospective ASU students
“The program enables students to understand the forefront of cybersecurity, get hands-on experience with coding, and tackle complex challenges,” said Doupé, who is also an associate professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence.
Jackie LeFevers, assistant director at the Center for Cybersecurity and Trusted Foundations, stated that the internship “encourages students to adopt a research mindset and explore potential future paths.”
One of the participants, Daniel Jian, focused his research on applications that perform unauthorized tracking, particularly targeting children. Despite existing regulations, Jian identified third-party trackers monitoring kids without permission.
“I advocate for internet privacy,” said Jian, 16, from Litchfield Park. “If companies can’t respect children’s privacy, how can we trust them with anyone’s privacy?”
Jian, a junior at Arizona Agribusiness and Equine Center at Estrella Mountain, scrutinized app codes to find unauthorized trackers. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “I’m proud of what I accomplished and satisfied with the program.”
Before the internship, Jian was considering an academic career. Did the experience influence his decision?
“Definitely,” he affirmed. “The internship solidified my aspirations. It gave me a glimpse into research and its impact on issues I care deeply about.”
Jian, who has earned 75 college credits through dual enrollment, plans to graduate high school with two undergraduate degrees and aims to pursue graduate studies in data systems, potentially at ASU.
