Cybersecurity, Leadership and Motivation through Embry-Riddle and Navy ROTC

Growing up, Scott Nicholson (’25) had a strong interest and skillset for computers and coding. When considering his path after high school, Scott knew that he wanted a degree in Computer Science and a university that would support his goals with a science-forward education.

Inspired by a history of military service in his family, Scott was sure that a career in the Navy would be a part of his future — eventually leading him to Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus.

“Initially, I looked into the Naval Academy, but my dad pointed out Embry-Riddle and Navy ROTC as an option,” he explained. “The combination of being able to have a traditional college experience while participating in ROTC and commissioning as an officer is what attracted me to the university.”

Coding His Way to Success

Despite initially considering a career as a Naval aviator, Scott became more interested in combining his love for computer science with his military career after starting classes at Embry-Riddle.

He also sought opportunities to develop professionally and take initiative as an entrepreneur, working as a freelance software and game developer in his free time.

“I have worked on a wide variety of projects, from developing neural networks and their training algorithms to coding the next generation of educational games,” he shared. “Being able to engage in real-world work has been a great experience that allows me to hone and improve my skills.”

A Dedication to Service

Throughout his time at Embry-Riddle, being in ROTC has had an incredible impact by giving him an outlet for discipline and structure as well as cultivating friendships that have become family and people he can rely on.

Seeking leadership roles, Scott has worked with other midshipmen to improve Navy ROTC at Embry-Riddle.

As a part of ROTC, midshipmen engage in a semesterly Surface Warfare Officer Leadership Development Exercise — an exercise where Navy ROTC’s five departments work together as five ships to complete a mission against an enemy.

Previously, the exercise was done on paper, but Scott saw an opportunity to use his skills and knowledge of coding to greatly improve and streamline the event.

“Being able to develop simulation software that is now used by the whole battalion to conduct wargames has allowed me to improve my leadership skills and implement the skills I have learned in my classes,” he said.

Scott has also had the opportunity to lead as a midshipman instructor at New Student Indoctrination, a two-and-a-half-week summer course for students joining ROTC, and is currently serving as the battalion commanding officer.

Pursuing a Passion

This summer, Scott had the opportunity to spend a month at the Naval Academy — learning and gaining hands-on experience with cyber warfare through a simulated cyber operation.

“The staff had set up a large network of devices, servers and services that the midshipman and a group of maritime cyber warfare officer candidates were responsible for breaking through with the ultimate goal of controlling a missile launcher,” he explained.

“The cyber warfare engineers developed software to exploit vulnerabilities and control the target devices,” he said. “I worked on software that exploited the authentication system on a website, exfiltrated data on job applications and broke through a service to get root access to the full system.”

Ultimately, this experience solidified Scott’s desire to use his computer science education in conjunction with his military career and showed him how crucial cybersecurity is to the military — both in its current state and for the future.

Beginning a New Journey

Throughout his time at Embry-Riddle, Scott has found motivation through the support of his family and his strong drive to succeed in his personal and career goals.

After he graduates and commissions this fall, Scott hopes to become a cyber warfare engineer in the Navy. Though he is unsure of how long his military service will be, he has big plans for a civilian career — seeking to start his own cybersecurity company.

For Scott, his biggest strengths have been taking initiative and using his resources to find opportunities that stand out.

“Raise your hand and take every opportunity that comes your way. Something I did a lot was just asking and applying,” he said. “Getting funding for study abroad from ROTC, applying for jobs earlier than usual and offering to develop simulation software are all examples of this.”

“The worst that can be said is no and the best is being able to get a great opportunity.”

Though Scott’s time as a student is coming to a close, there is no doubt that his impact on Navy ROTC and Embry-Riddle will not soon be forgotten.