Peraton awards DSU student scholarships
August 8, 2024
Dakota State University students are following in their parents’ footsteps.
Joëlle Malacko and Mikaila Fluth are both technology majors at Dakota State. Both have parents who work in cyber security, and this inspired them to enter the field. To keep them moving into that career path, they have recently received a $5,000 scholarship from Peraton. The company hopes these will elevate their drive to enter the cybersecurity workforce.
Peraton is a national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. They have been providing Dakota State students with scholarships since 2021, part of their commitment to support the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Peraton Scholarship winners at DSU: Joëlle Malacko and Mikaila Fluth are the 2024 Peraton Scholarship winners at DSU. The award was presented this summer by Peraton representatives Jeff Berlet, Cathy Johnston, Lynelle Haugabrook, Caroline Arzt, and Stefanie Hale. Not pictured is scholarship winner Keira Heider.
“The Peraton Scholarship is offered to students who show excellence and command in cyber and computer sciences. The funding serves as an incentive to encourage students to unlock their full potential,” said Kanthi Narukonda, Assistant Professor and Director of CybHER, a technology outreach program at Dakota State.
Malacko is a senior majoring in Computer Information Systems from Woodbury, Minn. Her interest in cybersecurity was inspired by her father, who has been in the industry for 30 years. At Dakota State, she has built a new gaming PC and worked on a research project investigating Bluetooth spam attacks on Android devices.
Fluth, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science and Cyber Operations, was also inspired by her parents who work in the cyber security field. She is currently working for the CybHER® Institute as a CybHER Leader. She writes blog posts for the CybHER website, creates lesson plans for camps and outreach events, and runs the CybHER Girls and Bricks and Bots elementary afterschool programs. Fluth is from Crooks, S.D.
Keira Heider also received a scholarship.
“A scholarship like this can open doors for the students who receive them. Peraton recognizes the skill and talent that DSU students bring to the workforce,” said Narukonda.