Program empowers military veterans with funds for cyber certifications

CHANTILLY, Va., Feb. 21, 2018 — (PRNewswire) —  Engility Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: EGL) today announced the recipients of the first Engility CyberWarrior® Scholarship. The recipients will each receive funds to complete highly-desired cybersecurity certifications. With military veterans making up thirty percent of Engility's workforce, the company partnered with the Center for Cyber Safety and Education to establish the cyber scholarships.

The awardees are Magdalena Seitz of San Bernardino, California and Leo Bastidas of Austin, Texas.

The CyberWarrior Scholarships include everything recipients need to be certified for a career in cybersecurity, including training classes, textbooks, materials and certification tests. The rigorous (ISC)2 certifications, which are regarded as the international industry standard, are required cybersecurity credentials by Fortune 500 companies, the Department of Defense and other government agencies.

Seitz is a U.S. Army veteran and the first in her family to attend college. She joined the military shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks as a light-wheel mechanic, and she quickly became interested in cybersecurity after learning about cyber vulnerabilities and the skills gap in combating cyberwarfare.

"Cybersecurity awakened a desire in me to continue learning, especially when the end reward is helping people understand and learn about the dangers found online," said Seitz. "Winning this scholarship allows me to gain certifications in pursuit of my dream to work for the Department of Defense and eventually teach others about this career." 

Bastidas, also a U.S. Army veteran, says he joined the military to better himself. He first learned about computers and information technology from one of his older brothers who worked as a computer repairman. He honed his skills as an information security specialist through his deployments and works to share his interest in cybersecurity with others who are transitioning into civilian life.

"I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to grow as an information security specialist and help others looking for a career in cybersecurity," said Bastidas. "I was taught at a young age the value of making a positive impact on society, and this scholarship will provide me with the necessary skills to one day become a CTO of a Fortune 500 company."

"We are grateful for our veterans' commitment to continue to serve their country in a critical defense field like cybersecurity," said Lynn Dugle, Engility CEO. "Combing through the applications and reading story after story of incredible strength, bravery and duty to country was humbling, and we will continue to look for ways to serve those who served us."

At the end of the training, the veterans can enter into jobs with highly-technical cyber skill sets, such as security analyst, security engineer, security auditor and security architect. The program focuses on four (ISC)² certifications: Certified Information Systems Security Professional, Certified Secure Software Lifecycle Professional, Certified Authorization Professional and Systems Security Certified Practitioner.

"We are looking to serve a critical need of workforce development in cybersecurity," said Patrick Craven, Director of the Center for Cyber Safety and Education. "Our veterans are deeply committed to our national security and are uniquely qualified for this mission."

About the Center for Cyber Safety and Education

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education (Center), formerly (ISC)² Foundation, is a non-profit charitable trust committed to making the cyber world a safer place for everyone. We work to ensure that people across the globe have a positive and safe experience online through our  educational programs,  scholarships, and  research. We are the charitable trust of (ISC)², whose dedication to  our mission has been an inspiring example to the cybersecurity industry. For more information on (ISC)², please visit  www.isc2.org.

About Engility

Engility (NYSE: EGL) is engineered to make a difference. Built on six decades of heritage, Engility is a leading provider of integrated solutions and services, supporting U.S. government customers in the defense, federal civilian, intelligence and space communities. Our innovative, highly technical solutions and engineering capabilities address diverse client missions. We draw upon our team's intimate understanding of customer needs, deep domain expertise and technical skills to help solve our nation's toughest challenges. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, and with offices around the world, Engility's array of specialized technical service offerings include high-performance computing, cybersecurity, enterprise modernization and systems engineering. To learn more about Engility, please visit www.engility.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

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SOURCE Engility