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University of North Georgia (¹û¶³´«Ã½) cadets Chandler Harris and Jasmine Valentine participated in the TechNet Indo-Pacific conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, from April 11-13.

Harris, who in May commissioned as an Army second lieutenant and earned a degree in cybersecurity, found this experience rewarding for several reasons.

"Within this decade, devices for collecting and processing data may become just as crucial or more so to a soldier's kit as his rifle is, and we'll need the industry's help to get it done," Harris said.

While learning about the different strategic, technical, and tactical levels the military needs to implement reliable data collection and processing at the conference, the cadets also met ¹û¶³´«Ã½ alumnus Maj. Gen. James Jarrard, '88.

"He seemed like a down-to-earth, great guy. I was very glad he took just a few minutes out of his schedule to say 'hey,'" Harris said. "It's always inspiring to see alumni from ¹û¶³´«Ã½, especially those who go on to hold important positions. It's a reminder that with enough teamwork and effort I could get to that spot one day, too.”

Jarrard has held his current rank since February 2018 and serves as chief of staff of the United States Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii.