Amanda Ryerse (Class of 2018)

photo of Amanda Ryerse

  • senior Electrical Engineering major
  • minor in Political Science
  • from Ashburn, VA
  • member of the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute
  • interned at Booz Allen Hamilton, an information consulting firm based in Washington, DC (Summer 2017)
  • plays on the women's lacrosse team
"Talk to your professors — this is how I got my independent study and determined the kind of internship I wanted to take. Cyber security is not directly aligned with electrical engineering or political science, and I was initially nervous about how it might fit, but embracing that challenge gave me a valuable and unique opportunity that I know will end up helping me in the future."

Why Miami?

Amanda Ryerse at her 2017 internship at Booz Allen Hamilton

"I was born and raised in Virginia, near DC. I was looking at colleges all over the country, and my grandparents, who live in Indiana, suggested that I check out Miami. I came to visit and fell in love with both the gorgeous campus and Miami's engineering school, which offers a more hands-on experience with greater teacher interaction. But I also liked how Miami emphasizes a well-rounded education, which is where the College of Arts and Science came in. Even with a major outside CAS I knew I would be gathering a variety of experiences that will help me in the real world.

"I've always liked math and circuits and gadgets, so I decided to pursue electrical engineering. My parents are both retired lieutenant colonels in the Air Force, where they were also engineers. They have always encouraged me to do what I have wanted, saying, 'Don't let anything hold you back, especially being a woman in the STEM fields.' I have never felt that because I'm a woman that I cannot succeed in STEM, and all my Miami professors and fellow students have been welcoming and supportive.

"Since I love to learn in general and (as a freshman) had no idea what I wanted to do after college, I kept my focus on math and engineering while exploring other topics — particularly history and government. I came in with a couple AP credits to get started with a minor in political science, and during my sophomore year I talked to political science professors Patrick Haney and Bryan Marshall about the career potential. As a minor, I jumped into 200- and 300-level political science courses, and it's been great ever since!"

Best Miami Experiences

Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute students with General Ralston (center)

"I really enjoy that at Miami I am learning not just how to be an engineer. Engineers need to solve problems that are multi-faceted and multidisciplinary. Miami does a really good job at encouraging that — you have to be creative and think out of the box. And if you've never taken a psychology or political science class, how would you be able to accomplish that? All of these fields play a part in your solution, and that's what I really enjoy.

"For over three years I've been a member of the Lockheed Martin Leadership Institute, affiliated with the College of Engineering & Computing, which focuses on transformational leadership, changing the way you look at things, and developing as a person and a leader. It is run by executive director Louise Morman, who is also our professor.

"In addition to Professor Morman and all my electrical engineering professors, I've really enjoyed getting to know Dr. Haney and visiting assistant professor Michael Marshall, both in political science. Last fall, based on a class I'd taken with Dr. Marshall, I did an independent study with him on terrorism and counter insurgencies, a topic that I'm very interested in. I'd like to get into defense contracting and the intelligence community, so my international affairs and foreign relations classes for my political science minor have been great. I also took Dr. Haney's American foreign policy class, which has given me better knowledge on what's going on in the world in tackling these issues.

"I interned last summer with Booz Allen Hamilton, which was awesome. I was at their headquarters in DC, where I got to work on projects related to internal cyber security for them.

"Finally, I need to add that I've made a lot of really good friends here at Miami. My roommates Lexi, Kat, Mattie, and Mollie, as well as my friends Matt, Seamus, and Sarah have all been a great support system and really encouraged me to pursue my passion!"

Miami and the Liberal Arts

Amanda Ryerse (right) and friend at a Miami football game

"Engineering is all about solving problems, and by adding my political science minor and solving real-world problems through my Booz Allen Hamilton internship, I've learned to look for different and creative solutions. The liberal arts really change your perspective. It forces you to learn something new, get out of your comfort zone, and challenge yourself. This is really the only way you can grow!

"One of my favorite classes was ITS 201, which was awesome at opening my eyes to the world. I also took a social dance class, and although I'm a terrible dancer, it helped me adapt to new experiences.

"In political science, I took a great class with Dr. Marshall a couple years ago about the politics of the Middle East. For me, it's a topic that had always been fascinating since I had grown up in a military family. Dr. Marshall showed us that in order to have a solution for that region of the world, you need to know how the people think. For a simulation role playing exercise, we were all assigned a specific country. I had Tunisia and did research on their government, history, and culture to try to approximate how they might act in a particular situation.

"This is the class that led me to my independent study with Dr. Marshall last fall. He saw my interest in the politics and security in the Middle East and helped me put that experience together. Our research has continued into the spring semester, and we will be presenting it at the Midwest Political Science Association conference in April."

Interning with a DC Firm on Cyber Security

Amanda talks about her 2017 summer internship with Booz Allen Hamilton, an IT consulting firm based in DC that handles an array of difficult challenges such as defense and cyber security.

Handling Internal Cyber Threats Video Transcript

Advice to Students

"Don't be afraid to take classes for the sake of taking a class. I think we get so conditioned into taking one class in order to proceed to the next one, but taking a class that you enjoy can help you learn the most. Later on in life, those classes are going to help you 100 percent.

"Talk to your professors — this is how I got my independent study and determined the kind of internship I wanted to take. Cyber security is not directly aligned with electrical engineering or political science, and I was initially nervous about how it might fit, but embracing that challenge gave me a valuable and unique opportunity that I know will end up helping me in the future."

[March 2018]