Ricardo Ayala is a senior at The University of Texas at San Antonio majoring in cybersecurity with a minor in political science. On campus, he is an active member of the UT San Antonio Honors College and has held leadership roles as president of Ballet Folklórico de UTSA and Jolt Action. Additionally, he participated in the UTSA Bold Careers Program and has served as a resident assistant for the last two years. Ayala recently gained professional experience through an internship as a security operations center analyst at UTSA. Off campus, he demonstrated his commitment to community service as a volunteer at the Center for Refugee Services, where he assisted refugee cases with employment opportunities and addressed their basic needs. Ayala also served as the program director for the National Student Leadership Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, where he led a nationwide cybersecurity program for high school students. Post-graduation, Ayala aims to contribute to a nonprofit organization that bridges the cybersecurity knowledge and technology gap in underrepresented communities.