Real Story: Mario Fernandez

Mario Fernandez

CSM Class of 2002, Computer Programming

Current Job Title: Director of Nuclear Security & Compliance, InfraShield

Transfer Institution: University of Maryland, University College (now Global Campus)

I’ll never forget CSM, because it's where everything changed for me. Every time I drive by the campuses, I think about how it’s grown and expanded to provide more opportunities for different students, like it did for me.
I grew up in New York City, and it was different going to school there compared to here in Maryland. Finding a job or going to college after graduating from high school was going to be difficult , so, what were my other options? I started looking into the military, and one of the things that really attracted me was the GI Bill.
During my second enlistment, I was stationed at Pax River Naval Air Station, here in Southern Maryland.
Two years before I decided I was going to leave the military, I started thinking about going back to school and using my GI Bill. And that's when CSM came around.
The flexibility that CSM offers really made all the difference. It was a foundation for me to explore new things and provided a bridge for me from military life to the career I have now. CSM just didn't enroll me; they supported me every step of the way, through every cycle.
When I first started at CSM, using GI Bill benefits was a lot more complicated than it is now, and it could take months to get everything approved. Luckily, the financial aid specialists here at CSM were understanding and worked with me to make sure I didn’t miss any material at the start of the semester. They knew that the funding was going to come in, that it took time, and that it was outside of the control of veterans like me. I was able to come to class until the funds came in, even if it took a couple of weeks after the semester started.
There was an advisor who helped me so much, when I was feeling disappointed, when I was worried about whether the funds would come in, if I was going to be able to start the semester on time. She just said, “Don’t worry about that. I want you to focus on school. We know the money is coming. We want you to focus on your studies.”
That put me at ease and gave me peace of mind. Experiences like that motivated me to continue at CSM. I knew I had someone who believed in me and really wanted to help me succeed, and that’s something I cherish in my heart.
I had a lot of experiences like that at CSM. At the time, I was working full time and had a family to support. I didn’t have a lot of flexibility in my schedule during the week, and I would have to come in on Saturdays to use the lab to do my assignments.
I remember begging the person who cleaned the lab to let me stay just a little bit longer: “I won’t be able to come back this week and I need to turn this in. Can I stay another half hour?”
And he would say, “Don’t worry about it. Just finish your assignment.” He would allow me to stay there when everybody else had already left, until it was time for him to go. Because of that flexibility and understanding, I was able to turn in my assignments on time.
While I was a student, I tried to take advantage of opportunity that CSM offered. CSM worked with a lot of the public, four-year colleges, so that you could transfer most or all of your CSM credits toward a bachelor’s degree. I transferred to the University of Maryland, University College (now Global Campus), and they accepted about 90% of my credits.
I went to school for ethical hacking, and my education allowed me to pursue a career that combined my knowledge of cybersecurity with SQL programming, database development, and systems management. I helped develop the cybersecurity program for nuclear power plants in the United States and later became the Branch Chief for the Cybersecurity Division of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Most people don’t know in advance where they’re gonna go in life and where their career really begins. For me, it really began at CSM.

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Last updated: 8-7-26