UNCP Cybersecurity Student Lands Security Engineer Position with Microsoft

From his home in Nigeria, Chidubem “Sacony” Chukwu searched online for universities offering a standalone degree in cybersecurity. His search led him to UNC Pembroke.

Two years later, the senior is preparing to graduate and begin his career as a security engineer with Microsoft.

The job offer followed a standout summer internship in which Chukwu put his skills to the test alongside some of the nation’s brightest college students. He and four fellow interns captured first place in Microsoft’s Strike Intern Capture the Flag competition, identifying vulnerabilities and exploiting weaknesses in simulated technology environments.

For Chukwu, the experience offered proof that what he had been learning at UNCP could translate directly into work at one of the world’s largest technology companies.

“Going from UNCP to Microsoft, you realize that the things you're learning in class are not just things you're learning for a grade,” Chukwu said. “You’re learning things that you’re actually going to use.”

Chukwu came to the United States in 2024 and transferred to UNCP after attending the University of Memphis. He is scheduled to graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity and serves as president of UNCP’s Cyber Defense Club.

His preparation has extended beyond the classroom. For the past two years, he worked with the Network Security Division in the university’s Division of Information Technology (DoIT), gaining hands-on experience as a security operations center analyst and penetration tester. His work includes identifying vulnerabilities, conducting security assessments and helping protect the university’s systems and network.

That combination of classroom learning and practical experience helped prepare him for a competitive Microsoft internship process that included four rounds of interviews.

Once at Microsoft, Chukwu quickly found opportunities to test what he knew.

During the Strike Intern Capture the Flag competition, Chukwu’s team competed against others from much larger universities. The competition challenged them to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in simulated environments, applying cybersecurity concepts in real time. Chukwu’s team took first place.

Dr. Prashanth Reddy, associate professor and director of UNCP’s cybersecurity program, said Chukwu’s success reflects both his technical ability and his willingness to seek out new challenges and opportunities.

“Chidubem is highly engaged and driven,” Reddy said. “He consistently takes on challenges and pushes himself to learn and grow.”

For Chukwu, the internship also broadened his understanding of where a cybersecurity career can lead. The field, he said, extends beyond the traditional image of someone working behind a computer. It requires problem-solving, communication and collaboration, along with an understanding of how security decisions affect people and organizations.

His upcoming role as a Microsoft security engineer represents another step in that journey and an opportunity he did not envision when he first searched for a cybersecurity program thousands of miles away from home.

“I didn’t come to UNCP thinking I would end up at Microsoft,” Chukwu said. “But UNCP gave me the foundation, and I took advantage of the opportunities that came my way.”