Mel Humphrey says she’s honored to be one of the first recipients of a new scholarship for students studying cybersecurity. It’s part of a $250,000 gift from Target to the College of Science and Engineering that includes student support, internships, and a yearlong course in which students work with Target executives to solve real-world cybersecurity problems. A junior computer science major from Hugo, Minnesota, Humphrey will intern at Target this summer. 

Why computer science?

My high school didn’t have computer science, but I decided to take a course on the Python programming language when I got to college. I really enjoyed it. I love how any problem can be solved multiple ways, and I like how you can see the results of your work. 

What attracted you to cybersecurity? 

When I saw how important cybersecurity is, it got me interested in pursuing it. If you don’t have security in your programs, there’s no use writing them. 

What does Target’s support mean to you? 

It encouraged me to study security. It also helps me financially so I can focus on my classes and extracurriculars. I’m a teaching assistant, so now I don’t have to stress out about juggling other jobs, and I can take more cybersecurity classes.