All Talent
Cybersecurity Alumna Enhances Career Prospects with NobleReach Scholars selection
Originally Published by Central Washington University
A recent Central Washington University Information Technology Management graduate joined an exclusive group of young professionals this summer when she was selected for the 2025 NobleReach Scholars Program.
Melissa Lopez-Barbosa (’24) was among 28 individuals chosen from a pool of more than 1,200 applicants nationwide to participate in the program’s second-ever cohort, placing her among the top 2.3% of candidates.
The NobleReach Scholars Program connects recent college graduates with paid career opportunities at government agencies around the country, where they help organizations tackle complex challenges in cybersecurity, AI, information technology, business, and engineering.
Over the next year, some cohort members will be working for SpaceX, the U.S. Department of Defense, the state of Maryland, the City of Seattle, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation, and dozens of other state and local government agencies.
Lopez-Barbosa started her one-year appointment with the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts this week and will be helping the agency improve its cybersecurity stance and help ensure an ethical approach to AI usage.
“I’m excited to continue working with my fellow NobleReach Scholars to help find ways to improve our government services,” said Lopez-Barbosa, who completed her master’s degree in Cybersecurity and Leadership from the University of Washington-Tacoma in June. “Most importantly, we will be looking for ways we can serve people better with the help of AI.”
Before making the 20-hour drive from Washington state to New Mexico, Lopez-Barbosa — an Ellensburg native — joined her fellow cohort members in Washington, D.C., for a two-week orientation boot camp.
Participants learned about all different aspects of local, state, and federal government operations, gaining insight about how the various branches function and interact with the public and private sectors.
Lopez-Barbosa said there were too many highlights to count, but one opportunity that stood out to her was being invited to attend a live recording of the “Washington AI Network” podcast. The cohort members met host Tammy Haddad and were treated to an interview with the U.S. Army’s Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Alex Miller.
“The interview with Dr. Miller helped give me a better understanding of how large organizations like the Army are using AI, and how we can use it to our advantage,” Lopez-Barbosa said. “The interview was very eye-opening for me as a cybersecurity professional, and it gave me a lot of good ideas about what we can do to protect the public against malicious actors.”
A large portion of the two-week boot camp focused on AI, and the strategies being employed by different companies and government organizations to navigate the constantly evolving technology.
“Every presentation at least touched on AI, and we heard so many different perspectives,” Lopez-Barbosa said. “But we didn’t just talk about AI; we also talked about how we can collaborate to solve current and future problems.”
In between networking events and speaking engagements, the boot camp attendees spent a lot of time talking about what they can do to make the world a better — and safer — place. Lopez-Barbosa expects to be in close contact with the other NobleReach Scholars throughout the next 12 months and beyond.
“All of us are focused on how we can solve problems that are bigger than all of us, and how we can create new pathways to collaboration,” she said, noting that the program aims to connect the private sector, government sector, and academia to find solutions. “There are some areas that need all three areas to form a solution, so it’s critical that we all work together.”
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