After earning both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from CSUSB, alumna Jessica Lee, ’11 ’13, applied her knowledge of linguistics to an unexpected career – she became a cyber threat intelligence analyst for the Principal Financial Group, a global financial investment management and insurance company in Houston.

“Getting a degree in English gave me a lot of strong research and analytical skills and I was really able to apply those skills specifically to cyber threat intelligence,” Lee said. “And I was able to transition from a technical writing role into an intelligence analyst role.”

As a cyber threat intelligence analyst, Lee tracks adversaries, primarily financially motivated cyber criminals who are looking to steal money from companies or individuals.

Lee, who previously worked at Chevron and Lockheed Martin, must always be alert, as cyber criminals are continually evolving to find new ways to carry out their plans.