ESET North America proudly celebrated the Canadian winners of the Ninth Annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship at an event held at the ESET Canada office. The winners, Aidan Gurung from Gloucester, Ontario, and Lauren Hendley from Carp, Ontario, were recognized for their outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of cybersecurity.
Although Aidan could not be in attendance, the event highlighted the exceptional accomplishments of these two young women and featured a series of special recognitions:
Meet and Greet with the ESET Team: The ESET Canada team, including members of the head office in Markham and Jean-Ian Boutin, Director of Threat Research at the ESET Research Centre of Montreal,personally congratulated Lauren, several finalists, as well as previous winners, acknowledging their dedication to cybersecurity and STEM education.
Video Message from local MP: Melissa Lantsman, Member of Parliament, Thornhill, Ontario, sent a heartfelt video message congratulating Aidan and Lauren and emphasizing the importance of their accomplishments in the male-dominated field of cybersecurity.
Certificates from local MPP: Laura Smith, Member of the Provincial Parliament and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Children, Community, and Social Services, sent congratulatory certificates on behalf of the Province of Ontario, recognizing the winners’ exceptional achievements and extending best wishes for their future endeavours.
Lauren Hendley was influenced by her father’s industry involvement and early programming experiences, Lauren’s passion for technology and cybersecurity was ignited in grade 12 when she co-founded her school’s Computer Science Club and competed in CyberPatriot. Lauren has been accepted to the University of Ottawa for an Honours Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (COOP Program), with a focus on cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence. Lauren emphasized the importance of showing women they are necessary and capable in a male-dominated field.
Through her experiences growing up in Nepal, Aidan Gurung, witnessed the importance of education and ethical standards in technological innovation. Her passion for EdTech and cybersecurity education has led her to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge. Aidan expressed her gratitude to ESET for supporting students like herself who aim to improve the technology landscape with a focus on ethics.
Celeste Blodgett, Vice President of Human Resources at ESET, remarked, “ESET continues to #InspireInclusion by awarding annual scholarships to aspiring female cybersecurity professionals – acknowledging their achievements and providing resources to support their academic and professional endeavors. With so many strong candidates this year, it was difficult to pick the finalists and I’m thrilled to recognize Aidan and Lauren for their hard work and accomplishments. It’s clear that more women are looking for routes into cybersecurity, and these students are great role models who represent the next wave of STEM advocates and digital defenders.”
This scholarship is an annual initiative, and interested women should keep an eye on the WICS site for updates in 2025. Find out more here.
