From Classroom to Corporate Headquarters: City Colleges Students Explore Cybersecurity at McDonald’s

As they explore future careers in cybersecurity, two dozen City Colleges of Chicago students had the chance to explore the halls of McDonald’s global headquarters in Chicago during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

On Tuesday, October 14, the group of 24 students from across City Colleges spent the afternoon touring the company’s state-of-the-art West Loop office, participating in a cybersecurity simulation, and hearing from McDonald’s employees, including the chief information security officer and cybersecurity apprentices.

The visit was planned by Kennedy-King College’s Tech Launchpad as a way to introduce students to potential work-based learning opportunities and careers in the field. One of the attendees was Asha McClarence, a cybersecurity student at Kennedy-King and a career changer who is looking to break into tech. Her favorite part of the visit was listening to the apprentices talk about their current projects and day-to-day responsibilities.

“I feel really lucky to have experiences like this that open me up to potential career paths,” said Asha. “It was great to hear from the apprentices and interns because I could see myself in their shoes one day soon.”

Ibrahim Bedaso, a fellow cybersecurity student across the city at Truman College, was equally impressed. Ibrahim graduated with an associate degree from Truman ten years ago, started his own small business in Chicago, and is now back to “soak up as much information about AI and cybersecurity as possible.” The McDonald’s visit was an opportunity to do that.

“I didn’t know what to expect walking in, but I was very impressed,” Ibrahim said. “The employees demonstrated some of their knowledge and skills through a cybersecurity simulation, showing us how they protect the company. We learn about this type of material in class, but to see it in person was eye-opening.”

Kennedy-King College’s Tech Launchpad provides students with access to high-quality academic and training experiences in new and emerging information technology industries. The goal is to ensure students have a competitive edge to compete in the global arena—including at global companies like McDonald’s.