CBSI Student Represents Embry-Riddle's Security Career Paths

CBSI: Tight-Knit and the Perfect Fit

For Matthew Keller (’27), it just made sense to enroll at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University after attending a small aviation and aerospace high school. He planned to pursue his career aspirations in an aviation-focused, tight-knit environment.

"I have always attended smaller schools, and being in small classes allowed me to get to know instructors on a more personal level," he said.

Now a senior, Matthew has built close connections with his peers and professors at Embry-Riddle Prescott as a Student Government Association representative for the College of Business, Security and Intelligence (CBSI) and a New Student Orientation leader.

He chose the Global Security and Intelligence Studies (GSIS) program because of the growing global demand for security experts and for the thrill of solving complex intelligence issues.

"It is really important to understand how to disseminate information and understand biases in today’s world," he said. "I also find it very fun to be able to solve complex problems without having all of the information available."

As Matthew has moved through his degree program and created opportunities for CBSI students across campus, he has paved his own path to a successful security career. 

Networking That Works at Embry-Riddle

Matthew spent the summer before his senior year interning in Northrop Grumman's security division, working with cybersecurity, crisis response and investigations teams, and primarily focusing on physical security projects such as lock and key.

He originally discovered the opportunity through a classmate and friend.

"He had been an engineering intern with Northrop Grumman for over three years and mentioned that they were hiring security-related positions," Matthew said. "He introduced me to the hiring managers the day before the Career EXPO, and I had an interview with them the following week."

Matthew had interviewed for internships before, but this time, he felt particularly prepared and confident.

"I prepared extensively with alumni and adults in my life, going over different interview questions and techniques," he said. "I also worked closely with Professor Ed Cochran and Professor Alan Saquella to tailor my cover letter and resume."

From Class to Internship to a Career in Security

Matthew found that the GSIS courses he had taken at Embry-Riddle, such as Counterintelligence and Emergency Management, directly prepared him for the projects he worked on during his industrial security analyst internship.

"I found myself getting taught things that I already had knowledge about, like crisis response and internal investigations," he explained.

Matthew paired those lessons and skills from his education with his drive to succeed and designed a project that would leave an impact on his division. By the time his final presentation came around, Matthew felt extremely proud of the security processes he had developed.

"I created an automated system for employees to create work orders for the lock and key personnel to be able to easily read and keep records, overall increasing efficiency," he said. "I also educated them on the open-source software that I used, and they now plan to use it to help increase efficiency in other places."

Matthew's hard work and innovation also paid off personally — he accepted an offer to return to Northrop Grumman as an associate industrial security analyst after graduating from Embry-Riddle.

Shaping CBSI for Student Success

Back on campus, Matthew is serving his second term as the student representative for CBSI. He bridges the goals of the student body and the university administration, often collaborating with student organizations to host events such as industry panels for business, security and intelligence topics.

"My job is to support the students, hear their feedback and help make changes that benefit the campus as a whole," he explained. "Last year, I worked with the College of Engineering representative, career services team and academic counseling team to develop and host security career panels, and they were extremely successful."

Ultimately, working with CBSI has accelerated Matthew's personal and professional growth.

"Being the CBSI representative has allowed me to become more connected with my fellow students and friends," he shared. "What has helped me the most professionally has been managing my time better and understanding how to have meetings with professionals. I often meet with deans and department chairs, and being comfortable having conversations with them allowed me to be more productive and proactive during my internship."

Matthew's core responsibility as the CBSI rep is to guide students in both discovering the career paths available to them and understanding how to leverage Embry-Riddle's resources to establish their own careers. While global security has always fascinated Matthew, he didn't realize until he entered the GSIS program just how many opportunities there are in the business, security and intelligence fields.

"There is corporate security, executive security, business and marketing intelligence," he explained. "For example, I didn’t know what industrial security was before my internship, but it has opened my eyes to a whole new realm."

CBSI gave Matthew the career direction and launchpad he needed to fulfill his aviation and security passions. As he prepares to transition into his post-grad role at Northrop Grumman, he will leave behind powerful resources and wisdom that continue to shape the bright futures of Embry-Riddle students.