Cyber Intern Sees Learning as the Path to a Future Mentoring Others

At MITRE’s end-of-summer intern breakfast, the message from several staff members was nearly identical: You need to meet Stephen.

They had watched Stephen Forbin, a Tech Futures intern and senior at Morgan State University, embrace every part of his summer at MITRE. He tackled new technical challenges, and he sought out conversations to learn from others, including technical staff, group leads, and other interns. 

And he did it all with an eye toward something bigger than his own experience. He was focused on how he could take what he was learning and use it to help others.

A cybersecurity intelligence management major at Morgan State, Forbin helped found a cybersecurity organization at the university, in part to help other students navigate a field that can be difficult to break into. He mentors younger students on everything from finding internships to conducting themselves professionally. And after graduation, he will be commissioned as a lieutenant in the Maryland Army National Guard.

Longer term, Forbin can imagine bringing those experiences into a classroom. After building his career, he hopes to teach cybersecurity or information technology at the high school level. His goal is not to just teach technical skills, but to help young people see possibilities for themselves.

“I want to mentor kids,” he said. “Being that person in somebody’s life, I feel like I could help develop them.”

Meaningful Experience Solving Real-World Challenges

That same drive to learn from others shaped the way Forbin approached MITRE. Enter the Tech Futures program.

The program combines intensive learning with meaningful, hands-on experience in emerging technologies. Students begin with an instructor-led bootcamp taught by MITRE professionals, then move into projects matched to their skills, interests and goals. Along the way, they also build professional skills such as communication, self-awareness, and giving and receiving feedback.

For Forbin, the difference was apparent early.

In a previous cybersecurity internship, he had valued the professional experience but often worked alone or alongside full-time staff without a broader intern community or structured learning track. At MITRE, he entered a cohort of about 35 Tech Futures interns and immediately felt part of something larger.

“Everyone was so welcoming,” he said.

Forbin quickly made a good impression, says Crystal Omari, cyber operations group lead and Forbin’s internship mentor.

“Stephen brought to his internship not just the technical skills learned in the National Guard, but also the discipline and tenacity needed for the work,” she says. “He stepped into a new domain of cyber and persisted! Learning, making an impact, and supporting other interns within the program.”

Building Skills, Experience, and Relationships

Forbin spent the summer working with another intern to support a cyber deception project, gaining exposure to new technical tools and concepts. But he says what made the experience special was the people.

His managers and task leaders made themselves available. His project partner showed him that building relationships across MITRE could happen alongside doing strong work. And being physically present with colleagues gave him countless opportunities to observe, ask questions, and connect in ways that extended beyond formal meetings.

“I take two trains to get here every day. And I still love it,” he says. “I don’t care that I have to make that commute because I know it’s going to be a good day. If it’s not because of the work, it’s because of the people I’m working with and the potential to expand that network. It’s amazing.”

That growth is part of what Tech Futures is designed to enable. The program attracts students who want to stretch themselves, contribute to meaningful work and keep learning. Their experience is strengthened when employees take the time to answer a question, make an introduction, or invite an intern into a conversation.

For MITRE staff, his story is a reminder that investing in interns can have an impact far beyond a single summer. The time spent helping talented young people grow becomes something they can carry forward and, in Stephen’s case, pass on.