Victoria Berkowitz

Victoria Berkowitz teaches at Mineola High School in Garden City Park, New York, where she has introduced cybersecurity classes at various grade levels and established a local Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) chapter to promote female participation in STEM and cybersecurity. Her initiatives have led to increased enrollment and student success in regional and national cybersecurity competitions. Victoria’s educational strategies are carefully crafted to make cybersecurity accessible and engaging for all students, particularly underrepresented groups. She encourages students from various backgrounds to work on passion projects in which they learn, master, and conduct outreach on their favorite cybersecurity topics, inspiring them to teach classes and bridge the representation gap by serving as relatable role models. 

Victoria is deeply involved in the cybersecurity education community, actively contributing to professional organizations and leveraging her various master’s and academic degrees and certification credentials to enhance her teaching. Her involvement with the Computer Science Teacher Association (CSTA) and WiCyS underscores her commitment to advancing cybersecurity education and providing students with exemplary career pathways. 

Jose Del Valle

Jose Del Valle teaches 6th through 12th grade at Doral Academy Preparatory Charter School in Doral, Florida, elevating cybersecurity education at the school, district, and state level. He has developed a rigorous cybersecurity curriculum featuring hands-on experiences with industry-standard software and built a cyber range for simulated attacks, which has helped grow student interest in cyber careers. Jose supports underrepresented students, including mentoring all-girl cyber teams that placed 3rd at Florida’s CyberLaunch and 6th nationally in the National Cyber Cup, one of the most prestigious cybersecurity events in the K-12 space. As leader of his school’s SECME-Innovate Club (Science, Engineering, Communication, Mathematics, and Enrichment), he encourages participation in prominent competitions. 

Jose is active in professional groups such as the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), demonstrating his commitment to building pathways in cybersecurity across populations. His background includes an academic portfolio featuring multiple master's degrees in cybersecurity and strategic management, and specialized certifications including Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).  

Kala Jo Grice-Dobbins

Kala Jo Grice-Dobbins teaches cybersecurity and various other subjects at the middle and high school levels at Madison County Career Tech Center in Huntsville, Alabama, where she originally launched cybersecurity classes for middle school. Her program has successfully increased female student  

participation to 30% and broadened access to cybersecurity education in rural Alabama. Through collaborations with Cyber Huntsville, Kala also helps students from rural areas make important industry connections. 

Kala has coached CyberPatriot teams for seven years, guiding them to place high each season, including a middle school team that earned 4th place in the nation. She is also one of the few high school cybersecurity teachers in her state to compete in SkillsUSA. In addition to holding a master’s in information technology education, her credentials include ISC2 Cybersecurity Certification and CompTIA Security+. She is also affiliated with AI Huntsville, Alabama Education Association (AEA), National Education Association (NEA), and is an ambassador for Firia Labs.  

Robert Speciale

Robert Speciale teaches CTE cybersecurity classes, computer science and other subjects at West Career and Technical Academy in Las Vegas, Nevada. His leadership in CyberPatriot and National Cyber League competitions has consistently led his teams to national finals and top-tier national rankings, often finishing within the top three in the state and achieving top 1% rankings nationally. 

Robert, who is CompTIA Security+ certified, recently celebrated the success of 25 students who passed various CompTIA exams, including A+, Network+, Security+, and CySA+. Many of his students have pursued further education in cybersecurity, computer science, or information technology at colleges and universities across the country. Robert’s work has earned him multiple accolades, including the Clark County School District’s New Educator of the Year, a Heart of Education Award, and recognition as a four-time finalist for a Top Tech Award in Education. He was also nominated as Nevada Teacher of the Year and is actively involved in the Nevada Association of Career and Technical Education (NACTE). 

Congratulations Victoria, Jose, Kala and Robert on being named CYBER.ORG Educator Award winners! 

Thank you to our partner, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and our generous award sponsor, Palo Alto Networks, for their continued support ensuring all K-12 students nationwide have access to cybersecurity education.