After a driver plowed into him as his motorcycle approached a stop sign, Ryan Powers
was hospitalized for a month waiting for swelling to go down before doctors could
even attempt surgery. He had a broken back, eight broken ribs, a facial fracture,
and an arm so badly shattered it nearly had to be amputated. The surgery that was
supposed to take eight hours stretched to 14, leaving him unable to move his left
arm. He couldn’t work and lost his job.
The accident broke him financially, emotionally and physically, he said. But he realized
he had two choices: Give up or get to work.
“I chose to get to work, prioritizing my mindset, my health and my future.”
Powers had already had a very successful six-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps,
surprising himself by excelling in cyber technology, a field he knew nothing about
going in. He’s transitioned to civilian life and found a good job. But his new life
seemed to implode with the devastating accident. He moved to Florida to start fresh.
And then he learned about USF’s new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity
and Computing. It seemed to be a light illuminating his path forward.
———
He had enlisted at 18 years old with no plan for what role he’d serve.
“I just wanted to serve where I could serve best.”
So it came as a surprise when, after basic training, the corps made him a cyber network
operator. He knew nothing about computer operating systems, networks, routers or anything
related to technology. When training began, he fell to the bottom of the roster. That
didn’t sit well. He spent hours studying, learning about computers, and, eventually,
rose to the top.
“I was taking classes and spending countless hours reading, learning and watching
videos to ensure I was an asset, not a liability” he said. His dedication to learning
earned awards and even a meritorious promotion.
Setting up mobile command centers – from scratch
That determination carried him through multiple deployments across the globe. From
training exercises in Morocco to leading the implementation of mobile command centers
throughout the Middle East, Powers became a leader.
“While the past matters, in the military, what we care about is what you can do now, more than awards or school training,” he said. “So, this started a whole new cycle
of working extremely hard.”
He helped establish mobile command centers, which became a critical asset for coalition
forces, allowing them to forward-deploy and command and control from any location.
“We felt like we were the Navy SEAL nerds,” he said, laughing. “Scaling the Empire
State building with a router.”
He was promoted to corporal after his second deployment due to efforts on that mobile
command center. He was leading Marines in high-pressure environments, balancing technical
demands with his troops’ well-being – and service to the people in the communities
where they were deployed.
Finding gratification in serving
While on assignment in Africa, Powers and his team also provided humanitarian assistance
to a local orphanage.
“When we got there and saw how little they had, we knew we had to do more.”
Powers and his fellow Marines asked family, friends and businesses back in the U.S.
to send boxes of shoes and articles of clothing. He spent his own deployment pay to
fund the expensive shipping fees for the donations.
“Some of these kids had never owned a pair of shoes. To see them smile just getting
something so simple, it was humbling. It showed me what Marines can do when they care
about the people they’re serving. It wasn’t just about military duty. It was about
humanity. We just put the word out, and to this date, I have sent thousands of articles
of clothing to orphanages between Kenya and Djibouti.”
Over the course of his deployments, Powers also rescued two dogs and three cats from
harm’s way, all now living with service members in the United States, including his
own rescue dog, Rasha.
“The motivation ever since then was, okay, I really feel something when I help people.
The only way for me to continue doing that is to become extremely successful. So that’s
the motivation now. To this day, I still help them whenever possible. It showed me
how rewarding it feels to make a difference.”
A time for change
After several deployments involving hundreds of computers, routers and miles of cable
to power mobile command centers, Powers decided to transition to civilian life. He
began working as a systems analyst and cloud engineer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on Plum Island in New York, using his
computing expertise to support the U.S. animal health system.
He imagined himself building a career.
And then the life-changing accident.
A LinkedIn post made his next steps clear
Once Powers began rebuilding his life, he saw that the need for cybersecurity professionals
was growing, especially in fields connected to national defense.
“I needed to start learning the ins and outs of AI, to understand its extraordinary
potential as well as its risks,” he said. He wanted to become well-versed in the latest
cybersecurity tools.
On LinkedIn, Powers saw that USF was creating the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence,
Cybersecurity and Computing. It seemed like the perfect fit at the perfect time.
“I loved that USF was creating a college, and I saw its mission aligning perfectly
with where I want my career to go.”
He was impressed by the caliber of the faculty, with experts in AI and cybersecurity
whose research is shaping the future. He also valued the chance to gain hands-on experience
in emerging technologies. So, he applied for the master’s program in cybersecurity
and began classes when the college launched in August. He believes his military background,
combined with his ongoing education at USF, will position him to be a valuable asset
in the defense sector.
“There’s a huge need for people who can align strategy, policy and operations,” he
said. “I want to be that person companies and agencies can rely on, knowledgeable,
confident and committed to doing the right thing.”
Now living in Lakewood Ranch, his grit is shaping his new mission. He commutes to
Tampa for classes in AI, data networks and security, and advanced data structures.
“This is my first time being in person at university, and I love it,” he said. “I’m
just happy to be here.”
Whether it is building computer networks, bringing shoes to children who had none,
or protecting systems that safeguard nations, Powers’ story and mission are linked
to service. He is an example of the type of graduate student that USF’s Bellini College
is attracting: resilient leaders with real-world experience, eager to gain advanced
technical expertise.