Taking a quick look at Stewart Cates’ resume will most likely prompt a quick double-take. The Rome High School senior has already graduated from Georgia Highlands College with his associate degree. He is a national champion in cybersecurity, holds a slew of IT certifications, is an Eagle Scout, and plays the cello at his church.
On May 25, he will get his high school diploma at Barron Stadium two weeks after earning his associate degree thanks to dual enrollment. As most people can guess, Stewart already has a plan in place for getting his bachelor’s and his master's at the University of North Georgia before embarking on his career.
“It will take me two years to get my undergrad. I think I’ll end up going for an extra year to get my master's degree. If it all works out, I’ll be 21 with a master's degree,” he says. “I’m excited to be graduating from high school and also be able to get my first couple of years of college out of the way and be able to go right into the classes in my major.”
The fast track to his associate degree began early in his Rome High career.
“I took my first dual enrollment class in the fall of my sophomore year. Then I started going for my associate degree sometime in junior year,” he says. “My mom helped me lay out the schedule and see if I had the time.”
Somehow Stewart managed to find the time even with his busy schedule and also along the way found his calling.
“Sophomore year, I took the Introduction to Digital Technology class. In the class, I met my best friend James and we sort of discovered the rabbit hole that is cyber security,” he says. “There was a program called CyberStart America. It’s a virtual penetration testing program. They have different websites. They would give us a baseline of knowledge and then have us figure out how to break in. That’s what got me interested in it.”
The classroom experience lit a fire under him, and Stewart has continued flourishing. He has earned several security and network certifications already, many of which look great on a resume.
“I got some of the certifications directly in my classes. One of the certifications, the GFACT is a $3,000 certification. I got a full scholarship to cover the cost,” he says. “All of the certifications definitely look good. I just applied for a cyber security scholarship, and I already have a lot of knowledge of the subject.”
On top of the certifications, Stewart has been named a National Cyber Scholar with Honors, a Gold Award Winner, and a National Cyber Scholarship Finalist. He is also an FBLA region, state, and national winner in cybersecurity. He will compete in Orlando this summer at the FBLA National Convention.
“Mrs. (Kimberly) Nichols and Mrs. (Jane) Moore, the business teacher at Rome High, pushed me into these more competitive level events,” he says. “They saw the potential in me, and they thought I could do well.”
Stewart also praises the school for giving him a pathway to not only cyber security but for earning his high school and associate degree at the same time.
“It’s great. Rome High’s cyber security program allowed me to do it. If it wasn't for Mrs. Nichols, the scholarships available, and Rome High funding the classes and the certification exam attempts I would not be nearly as far into my certification path as I am now,” he says.
As for the future, Cates plans to go into cyber security with his goal set on working for the government.
“I want to be a part of a red team, which is an offensive cyber security team working for the federal government,” he says. “They would attack or simulate attacks on foreign or domestic enemies on computer infrastructures. Say a terrorist group has a computer system that they coordinate their activities with. I want to be on the team that attacks that and tries to figure out what they are doing.”