Andry Rakotomalala

 2 MIN. READ

Both of Andry Rakotomalala’s BA ’14, MBA ’16 parents are “Malagasy,” which means they are from Madagascar. Andry was born and lived in Madagascar for five years until his parents, who are both physicians, moved their family to Cameroon, where the Rakotomalalas spent 12 years. When Andry was 17 years old, they moved to Kenya where he spent the last two years of high school at an American international boarding school in Kijabe.

A high school counselor at Andry’s school introduced him to Anderson University (Ind.), located a mere 12,755 miles away across the globe from Kenya.

“My dad is a pediatric surgeon and my mom is a general practice doctor, so we moved around so they could provide medical care to populations in need,” says Andry, who majored in family science at Anderson University. “My goal was to be a family life specialist and help families navigate through challenging times, then someone suggested project management.”

Andry began an MBA in project management at Anderson after completing his undergraduate degree. Referring to himself as a “professional intern,” Andry had a couple internships at Anderson University, then landed an internship at Rook Security, which is now Sophos. While he was at Rook, he developed an interest in cybersecurity and began exploring cybersecurity as a passive hobby.

After graduating with his MBA in 2016, Andry became a business analyst intern with then-named TinderBox, which rebranded to Octiv and was recently acquired by Conga. Finally breaking free from the “intern” moniker, Andry began consulting on implementation processes and during the pandemic, he explored a shift to cybersecurity and discovered Eleven Fifty Academy (EFA).

“The CARES Act provided me with an opportunity to do cybersecurity part-time while still working,” states Andry, who started the EFA cybersecurity course in November of 2020.

Andry really liked the class, indicating that a lot of information comes at you all at once, which he really enjoyed. His understanding of cybersecurity concepts grew from his experimentation with solutions and experiential failures, which illuminated a path toward success. “The instructors broke things down into chunks, and gamified the learning process, which I sincerely appreciated,” says Andry, who now works with OnPrem Solution Partners.

His advice to prospective students is: “If there is anyone who is looking at the Eleven Fifty Academy course, they are already on the right path. Eleven Fifty will give you the opportunity to level up. Prepare for a very rewarding and challenging experience, and like anything else, you get out what you put into it.”

Article from the Indianapolis Recorder.

Anderson University is on a mission to educate students for lives of faith and service, offering more than 60 undergraduate majors, 30 three-year degrees, 20 NCAA Division III intercollegiate sports, alongside adult and graduate programs. The private, liberal arts institution is fully accredited and recognized among top colleges for its business, computer science, cybersecurity, dance, engineering, nursing, and teacher education programs. Anderson University was established in 1917 in Anderson, Indiana, by the Church of God.