Carrollton High School CyberPatriot all-girls team placed third in the state competition to advance to the national competition on Jan. 24. Pictured from left are Coach Robby Blakemore, Lucy Slappey, Simranjeet Kaur, Tanya Aggarwal, Juliet Browning and Alaina Dhople.
CARROLLTON, GA — The Carrollton High School all-girls CyberPatriot team made history by placing third in the Gold Tier at the state level, securing their spot in the national competition. This marks a significant achievement for the team’s first year. They will compete in the open division at the national level on Jan. 24, which will be hosted virtually at CHS.
“Coach Blakemore and the CyberPatriot team have seen continued success,” said Ian Lyle CHS principal. “The program’s rising popularity highlights the valuable computer science skills our students are acquiring. We are excited about the program’s expansion with the all-girls team.”
Established by the Air and Space Forces Association, CyberPatriot is an educational program that trains students in skills used across STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines. The open division welcomes teams not affiliated with JROTC. With the goal of encouraging students to consider careers in these fields, CyberPatriot is an engaging, gamified atmosphere where students encounter simulated cybersecurity scenarios and must work together to secure their virtual networks.
The unprecedented growth in the technology field demonstrates the need for students to develop these skills to prepare for future job market demands. Increasingly, more women are entering STEM-related professions, and the CyberPatriot girls are showcasing how influential their skills can be in this industry. To encourage female participation, the CyberPatriot program waived fees for all-girls teams. Out of more than 5,000 teams competing, less than one percent are all-girls teams.
Inspired by Coach Blakemore and other girls on the team, sophomore Juliet Browning joined CyberPatriot after successfully solving a packet tracer in her first computer science class, sparking her interest in the field. Now, she plans to pursue a degree in Bioinformatics and hopes other girls will join the team.
While the competition focuses on fixing network systems, sophomore Tanya Aggarwal emphasized the importance of being detail-oriented. “My teammates and I improved throughout the season because we studied the intricate systems and practiced mock challenges in preparation for every round. Attention to detail is the key to success,” she said.
Coach Robby Blakemore was impressed by the team’s resilience throughout the season.
“I am proud of the courage the girls showed to accept the challenge this year,” he said. “Even though the first round results were not what they wanted, they continued to learn and won third place in the state round.”
As the inaugural girls team, members are able to set a competitive standard moving forward, with the goal of placing higher next year. For now, their eyes are set on the national competition later this month.
