From Marine Corps to Cybersecurity
As part of my opportunity volunteering for Portraits For Patriots®, I had the privilege of photographing Marco Pigna, Cybersecurity specialist and Marine Corps Veteran. He shared some of his journey.
“I joined the Marine Corps and was stationed in Cherry Point, NC. It was a great experience for me. I worked as an Aviation Ordnance Systems Technician overseeing inventory and quality of valuable assets to ensure mission readiness for deploying units. At the end of my active-duty service in the Marine Corps, I found my educational journey was just beginning. The skills and discipline I gained during my service encouraged me to explore new paths, leading me to pursue further education. I enrolled in Rutgers University to study Computer Science, then continued my training by completing the Cyber Security Bootcamp at Fullstack Academy. The strong foundation from my time in the Marines helped me navigate the challenges of academic life and transition smoothly into a new career field.
A piece of advice I would offer is to trust the process. There is no set path on how to get from A to B. It may be one step, or it may be twenty. The path is different for everyone and there is no need to be afraid to take the path least traveled. It is not super clear when you cannot see the full picture. but apply yourself towards something you are passionate about and eventually, you will get there.
At the beginning of my job search, my military support referred me to Portraits for Patriots for a headshot. I reached out to them and that led me to Alissa. Alissa made the process super easy. We connected on a call briefly, and the communication process was super clear and effective.
My past photo experiences were awkward and tense. I would say my headshot experience with Alissa was the exact opposite. She taught me as we went through the process while explaining how and why lights are placed in a certain way. I enjoyed the experience more than I typically would. Alissa put on music. She was talkative. She created a relaxing situation, so the outcome of your photo is going to be at ease instead of being tense.
My headshot came out really good. The best photo experience I have ever had!”