{"id":198014,"date":"2026-03-21T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/hicks-helps-lead-uncps-first-cybersecurity-graduates-robesonian\/"},"modified":"2026-03-21T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-21T15:00:00","slug":"hicks-helps-lead-uncps-first-cybersecurity-graduates-robesonian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/2026\/03\/21\/hicks-helps-lead-uncps-first-cybersecurity-graduates-robesonian\/","title":{"rendered":"Hicks helps lead UNCP\u2019s first cybersecurity graduates \u2013 Robesonian"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hicks helps lead UNCP\u2019s first cybersecurity graduates \u2013 Robesonian<\/a><\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.robesonian.com\/news\/338612\/hicks-helps-lead-uncps-first-cybersecurity-graduates<\/a><\/p>\n

Publish Date: 2026-03-21 11:00:00<\/a><\/p>\n

Source Domain: www.robesonian.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Author: <\/a><\/p>\n

Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points. PEMBROKE \u2014 When Phillip Hicks arrived at UNC Pembroke as a freshman, the university\u2019s cybersecurity program was still in its trial phase. This May, the Red Springs native will help make history as one of the first graduates of UNCP\u2019s standalone Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity program.
\nFor Hicks, the journey to cyber sleuthing didn\u2019t begin with computers \u2014 it started in farm fields and hardware stores.
\n\u201cUntil my senior year of high school, I was set on becoming an agriculture education major,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cI was president of FFA. I grew up working hands-on \u2014 farming, ag mechanics, helping at the hardware store.\u201d
\nHis father, Chris Hicks, a 1996 UNCP graduate, instilled in him the value of hard work. His late grandfather, Talmadge Evers, worked for Lumbee River Electric Cooperative (LREMC). Farming, mechanics and service were part of daily life. But during Hicks\u2019 senior year of high school, a cybersecurity incident targeting LREMC changed everything.
\n\u201cIt hit close to home,\u201d he said. \u201cSomeone was posing as a customer trying to gain access to account information. It made me realize how vulnerable systems can be \u2014 especially locally.\u201d
\nAfter touring UNCP\u2019s campus and seeing the new cyber lab, his focus shifted.
\n\u201cThat was a polarizing moment,\u201d he said. \u201cI saw everything UNCP had to offer, and it just clicked.\u201d
\nUNCP launched its standalone cybersecurity degree in fall 2022 to meet the growing demand for trained professionals. While cybersecurity tracks previously existed within other IT programs, this marked the university\u2019s first dedicated degree in the field.
\n\u201cWhen I came here, the program was going through its first run with our class,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cI looked at the electives \u2014 digital forensics, cryptography \u2014 and it pretty much described the career I wanted.\u201d
\nSelf-taught in many ways, Hicks supplemented his coursework by devouring YouTube tutorials and leaning on tech-savvy family members.
\n\u201cI\u2019ve always been curious,\u201d he said. \u201cI like to see how things work.\u201d
\nThough cybersecurity often conjures images of screens filled with code, Hicks believes the field is just as much about people.
\nCurrently working with UNCP\u2019s Office of Advancement, he focuses on data health, record accuracy and cybersecurity best practices. \u201cWhen you\u2019re handling people\u2019s money, accuracy matters,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cA lot of what we do is problem-solving.\u201d
\nThe internship taught him something unexpected.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s not just combing through data,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not always binary. You learn about interpersonal relationships and the business side of things. That\u2019s been huge for me.\u201d
\nHicks has balanced multiple jobs throughout his college career, from working in fast food and at a local garage to the Hawks Nest on campus; he has never shied away from hard work. He has also farmed wheat, soybeans, corn and cotton, operated heavy machinery and worked as a mechanic.
\nAdditionally, he serves with the Shannon Volunteer Fire Department and volunteers through a Red Springs mission camp, building handicap ramps and assisting elderly residents.
\nHicks credits much of his success to mentors at UNCP. Professor Prashanth BusiReddyGari made courses like cryptography and digital forensics engaging and accessible.
\n\u201cHe makes it fun \u2014 even online,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cHe says, \u2018Life happens. My goal is to help you understand the material.\u2019\u201d
\nBusiReddyGari said Hicks is academically competent and known for his enthusiasm, integrity and professionalism in class. \u201cHe is driven and motivated to make a meaningful and lasting impact,\u201d BusiReddyGari said.
\nHicks is particularly drawn to digital forensics and cryptography \u2014 disciplines that require thinking like a hacker to stop one.
\n\u201cCryptography makes you think differently,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re learning how someone might conceal something.\u201d
\nHe recently applied for a civilian evidence technician position with the Robeson County Sheriff\u2019s Office, hoping to eventually move into cybercrime investigations at the State Bureau of Investigation.
\nFor Hicks, cybersecurity is about more than technology \u2014 it\u2019s about protecting people.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s like setting a trap,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re on the hunt.\u201d
\nUNCP wasn\u2019t just a wise choice academically \u2014 it was personal. The campus is close to family and carries strong ties.
\n\u201cUNCP was my last acceptance letter,\u201d Hicks said. \u201cI got into a few schools farther away and more expensive, but they didn\u2019t have the degree I wanted.\u201d
\nWhen the acceptance arrived, he celebrated.
\n\u201cI was jumping up and down,\u201d he said. \u201cGrowing up, we didn\u2019t have much money. I didn\u2019t know if college was even possible. Thinking back, my experience at UNCP has been expansive. I went from being a kid who thought he\u2019d stay in a small town to being encouraged and supported to go as far as I want \u2014 as long as I have the work ethic and ambition behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Hicks helps lead UNCP\u2019s first cybersecurity graduates \u2013 Robesonian https:\/\/www.robesonian.com\/news\/338612\/hicks-helps-lead-uncps-first-cybersecurity-graduates Publish Date: 2026-03-21 11:00:00 Source…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[24,35],"class_list":["post-198014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cybersecurity","tag-cybersecurity","tag-hacker"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198014"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=198014"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/198014\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=198014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=198014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/testing.news-you-need.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=198014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}