Army Cyber Command women attend 22nd annual Women of Color Youth Stem conference

By U.S. ArmyOctober 23, 2017

Army Cyber Command women attend 22nd annual Women of Color Youth Stem
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army Cyber Command women attend 22nd annual Women of Color Youth Stem
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Clydellia S. Prichard-Allen, chief, Military Personnel Division, l-r, Felicia Jackson, Senior Computer System Security Technologist and Col. Maria Biank, ARCYBER Operations Officer, serve on a panel at the 22nd annual Women of Color Youth S... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Army Cyber Command women attend 22nd annual Women of Color Youth Stem
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Lt. Col. Clydellia S. Prichard-Allen, chief, ARCYBER Military Personnel Division, center, served as the moderator for the Youth Leadership Mentoring Session held Oct. 6. The panel included, l-r: Raymond T. Horoho: acting assistant secretary of the Ar... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Three Army Command Soldiers and Civilians attended the 22nd annual Women of Color Youth Stem Conference, in Detroit, Mich. Oct. 5 -- 7.

Representing ARCYBER were: Col. Maria Biank, ARCYBER Operations Officer; Lt. Col. Clydellia S. Prichard-Allen, Military Personnel Division Chief and Lashanda Harris, Civilian Personnel Senior HR specialist.

The conference hosted more than 450 professionals and students, mostly women, from in and around Detroit.

The agenda was comprised of several initiatives to include: Leadership and Development and Diversity Management.

There were several seminar sessions that offered professionals and students new insights on leadership, professional development, and technical advancements. The event was geared to promote networking, training, and mentoring for the attendees.

Prichard-Allen served as the moderator for the Youth Leadership Mentoring Session held Oct. 6. She welcomed the youth and gave an overview of how the mentoring session would impact their lives.

Afterwards, she introduced the panel of leaders who shared their success stories.

The panel included: Raymond T. Horoho: acting assistant Secretary of the Army, Manpower and Reserve Affairs; Seema Salter, deputy, Diversity and Leadership for the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army; Steffanie Easter: acting assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology, and Dr. Eric Moore, PH.D, acting director, Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, US Army Material Command.

Biank, Prichard-Allen and Harris participated in a one-hour seminar titled: Calling All Women: The Cyber Security Field Needs You!

Biank, along with one of the private sector civilian cyber security representatives, provided insight on how the cyber security field does not employ a large number of women.

Prichard Allen and Harris assisted in answering questions concerning talent management and the need for females in the Cyber Security fields.

The attendees learned about the impact women can have on Cyber Security in a diverse industry.

They also learned about the advantages women who work in cyber security enjoy and the opportunities for women who are transitioning from Army Cyber to civilian careers. The attendees left with a greater understanding of their opportunities in the Cyber Security field.

Prichard-Allen was a presenter for the seminar titled: "Want a Security Clearance? This is what you need to know". She, along with Harris and Robbin Johnson, CISSP Department of Defense representative, facilitated the one-hour session where the panelists helped familiarize attendees with the extensive U.S. security clearance process and guided them through the process of getting and keeping a clearance.

They also explored furthering and emerging career opportunities that require various clearance levels.

Prichard-Allen was invited to share her military story with an audience of minority females ranging in age from 11-18 years old. She shared the personal story how she and her twin sister, Lt. Col. Clydea Prichard-Brown, battalion commander for the 836th Transportation Battalion Yokohama Japan, recently made history as the first women in the Army to be in battalion command at the same time.

Prichard-Allen explained the need to remain focused at a young age and the importance of having goals and staying committed to them. She stressed the importance of being productive members in their communities and reassured them that despite their current circumstances and family dynamics, they were capable of achieving success just as she and her twin sister have.

She challenged the teens to develop a goal and to give 100 percent to achieving that goal.