Our Stories

Sage Despeignes

Published April 21, 2026

Sage Despeignes was undecided about her career path in high school, but she did not let that uncertainty stop her from making a smart first move. She enrolled in Prince George’s Community College as a dual enrollment student and was guided into a lucrative technology career, securing employment even before graduation. This spring, the 21-year-old has a full-time role with the United States Department of Defense awaiting her upon graduating from Bowie State University.

“It feels surreal,” she said. “There's a lot of feedback about the current job market for new graduates and how it's kind of very difficult. I was able to leverage my high-level internship experience, community involvement, and certifications to secure an opportunity before graduating.”

With such a bright future in the federal government on the horizon, Despeignes is an advocate and ambassador for the level of achievement possible at community colleges. She says she tells everyone about the advantages of starting at a community college.

“I encourage a lot of students to consider community college, because that's honestly where you can kind of build on everything without feeling as much pressure that a four-year institution would give,” Despeignes said. “I would recommend it to everyone that's in high school and still figuring it out, especially if they don't necessarily know what career they're interested in.”

Despeignes is a Prince George’s County native and attended Surrattsville High School in Clinton, Maryland. While at PGCC, she received the Pepco Community Scholars Program Scholarship, Gilbane and Partners Scholarship, and the Last Mile Education Fund from the Microsoft Cybersecurity Scholarship Program to study information technology. She said her time at PGCC allowed her the freedom to learn and explore the best path for her career.

“I felt like it was a very safe space to learn, and that was what pulled me into staying at PGCC after I graduated high school,” she said.

Through the guidance of PGCC professors Folashade Adeleke and Tracy Ring, she took full advantage of her student experience by participating in organizations and programs such as Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) and the STEM Collegian Center. Through those experiences, she volunteered, served as a camp counselor for the GenCyber Summer Camp Program, and joined field trips to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. These opportunities opened her mind to careers she never imagined for herself.

“When I was growing up, I didn’t really know about careers in technology because I didn’t have that level of exposure until I started taking courses at PGCC and getting involved,” she said.

While at PGCC, Despeignes participated in CyberStart Fast Track through her involvement in the WiCyS student chapter, which led her to complete the SANS Cyber Foundations Academy and earn the GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies (GFACT) and GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) certifications.

While at Bowie State University, Despeignes attended and volunteered at more than 20 cybersecurity conferences and events across the United States over the past two years, participated in regional and national cybersecurity competitions, and is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer science with a cybersecurity focus in May 2026. She also interned with the U.S. Coast Guard in vulnerability management for two summers and worked with GuidePoint Security as a Detection Engineering Intern. In addition, she currently serves as vice president and competition coordinator of Bowie State University’s Cybersecurity Club and as vice president of the WiCyS student chapter.

She looks forward to joining the workforce and developing a rhythm as a full-time employee. She hopes to gain more experience in systems engineering before transitioning into leadership. Her ultimate career goal is to become a chief information security officer (CISO) and contribute to her community by serving as a guiding light for others.

“What brought me to being interested in working in the government in the beginning was the mission,” she said. “I have always been drawn to helping others, and that's what leadership is really about.”

Christina Walls

Published March 3, 2026

Online learning is a family affair and a revolutionary act for Christina Walls. While her two school-age children log in to their virtual classrooms, she logs in to her Prince George’s Community College computer science classes. The 37-year-old Prince George’s County native enrolled at the College, determined to chart a new career path and model lifelong learning for her family.

“It's positive for them to see me doing this and making positive changes in my life,” Walls said. “I’m showing them that you know you can change your course at any time, make positive changes, and still pursue knowledge as an adult.”

Not only is Walls a mom and an adult learner courageous enough to take on a career change, but she is also an artist and culture-maker poised to make her mark on the technology industry. She plans to put her self-described deep-thinking and problem-solving skills to use in the cybersecurity or artificial intelligence industries. Her personal goal to transform communities through technology is a legacy that goes beyond a career.

“It’s really important that AI is being trained by people who look like me,” she said. “I want to contribute to that movement for the same reason why I wanted to go back to school. I believe that my contribution to technology is my purpose.”

Walls attended Bowie State University after high school, but uncertainty about her career path deterred her from completing. She spent her early twenties working in the restaurant industry as a bartender and eventually transitioned to the wine industry. Her experience taught her valuable adaptability and people skills, but she wanted a career that would honor her childhood interests.

“I went to computer camp as a kid and learned how to do coding for Super Mario games,” Walls said. “I just always had that love for not just technology, but also I’m into gaming. No matter what I was doing, there was always technology involved. Even when I'm talking about my creative side, I'm someone who has my own studio equipment and software to record myself. I’m into using the latest, new technologies.”

Since enrolling at PGCC, Walls has fully immersed herself in campus life and in her new skill set. She joined the STEM Collegian Center and the Hackerspace clubs. In spring 2025, she was awarded a scholarship from Microsoft and is also pursuing the CompTIA A+ Prep and Security+ Certifications. In September 2025, she completed the Cyber Workforce Accelerator™ (CWA) Certification Program.

Established in 2024, the CWA program provides Cyber Ranges to all 16 Maryland community colleges for use in both workforce development programs and community college curricula across the IT and cybersecurity spectrum.

Developed by the Maryland Association of Community Colleges (MACC) and BCR Cyber, the CWA builds upon the resounding success of BCR Cyber’s Employment Advancement Right Now (EARN) ACT Training Program. Maryland stands out as a demand hub during a nationwide shortage of qualified IT and cybersecurity workers.

Walls is expected to graduate from PGCC in 2027 and looks forward to joining the career ranks in this in-demand field. For her, completing a degree and launching a technology career is more than a personal achievement. It is an investment for her children and the future world they will live in.

“Technology is evolving, and it is everywhere,” she said. “I look forward to being a part of this history and culture.”