{"666055":{"#nid":"666055","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Graduate Student Diaries: Cybersecurity Student, Paul Pasato Leon","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIt\u0026rsquo;s time to get real about life as graduate students. The Grad Student Diaries shed light on shared challenges, successes, and emotions that students balance while navigating through graduate school. \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_4JwZgOAM8wAtnXE?jfefe=new\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubmit your story here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003EThis week, we spend three days with Paul who routinely stays up until 1 a.m. working on projects for his graduate education.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EName: \u003C\/strong\u003EPaul Pasato Leon\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EStudying: \u003C\/strong\u003ECybersecurity\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EExpected graduation date: \u003C\/strong\u003EDecember 2024\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECurrent location: \u003C\/strong\u003EMacon, Georgia\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EFrom: \u003C\/strong\u003ESan Fernando, Azuay, Ecuador\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EAge: \u003C\/strong\u003E29\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECurrent job title: \u003C\/strong\u003ECybersecurity Analyst in Retail\/IT industry\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMarried: \u003C\/strong\u003EYes\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EKids: \u003C\/strong\u003ENo\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EHave you received funding to attend grad school? \u003C\/strong\u003EYes, company tuition reimbursement.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EAre you taking loans out to fund your graduate education? \u003C\/strong\u003ENo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EWhat is your goal for when you complete your graduate education?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nMy goal is to create an organization for high school students that will guide them on the upcoming college journey.\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECombined monthly income:\u003C\/strong\u003E $4,000\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ESavings contributions: \u003C\/strong\u003E$1,500\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMonthly debt: \u003C\/strong\u003E$400\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003EExpenses\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERent:\u003C\/strong\u003E $1,500\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EGym:\u003C\/strong\u003E $0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EPhone payment:\u003C\/strong\u003E $150\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECar payment: \u003C\/strong\u003E$300\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECar insurance: \u003C\/strong\u003E$180\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EHealth\/dental\/eye insurance: \u003C\/strong\u003E$20\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EChildcare or Petcare: \u003C\/strong\u003E$100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EMusic streaming service: \u003C\/strong\u003E$20\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ETV streaming: \u003C\/strong\u003E$50\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EParking or transportation:\u003C\/strong\u003E $0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ECable and\/or internet: \u003C\/strong\u003E$60\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EClub memberships:\u003C\/strong\u003E $0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EStudent Loans: \u003C\/strong\u003E$0\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EOther: \u003C\/strong\u003E$0\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETotal Monthly Expenses: $2,380\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003EDay One\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7:00 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EMy alarm goes off. My wife wakes up and starts preparing herself breakfast before work. I greet my wife and my Rottweiler dog named Boo.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7:20 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I prepare my dog for her morning walk, grab bags, treats, and walk out with my wife and dog to her car to say goodbye.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I return back to my apartment to prepare breakfast for my dog. We usually meal prep for her so it is convenient to fill her bowl with prep food that contains carrots, sweet potatoes, chickens, peas, multivitamins, dry food, and an egg.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:20 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EMy breakfast varies. Sometimes, I have cereal with milk and a banana. Other days, I have yogurt. My favorite flavors are coconut, chocolate, or raspberry.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:30 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI walk to my office room and get my set up ready for my workday. I check my board to see what task I have and what I have accomplished. While I wait for my computers to load, I either keep my board as it is or update certain bullets.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:40 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI start my day in different ways. One way that I start is reviewing my emails to see if there is any important communication, any response from previous emails. Other times, I start from the previous task that I didn\u0026rsquo;t complete the day before.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E11:30 a.m\u003C\/strong\u003E. I grab an energy drink if I have stock in the fridge, or otherwise, I drive to my nearest gas station. \u003Cstrong\u003E$7.80\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I grab lunch. Lunch is either leftovers from the previous night or a meal that my wife meal prepped, or both. If it is pasta or Ecuadorian food, I take a 45-minute lunch to enjoy my meals. Otherwise, I take 30 to grab a ham sandwich with LOTS of cheese, ketchup, and mustard.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2:45 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI am self-learning currently on Application Security topics that will help me be better on my job duties.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4:45 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI grab all my current tasks that are needed to be finished for the day, and I make notes to make sure I can pick them up the next day if not completed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI go to the dog park with my wife to have a family moment with our dog. We play fetch and chase each other.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6:45 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E We arrive home and my wife starts making dinner. I try to recommend pasta for dinner, but she has a different menu that I love. I also feed my dog the same food that I gave her for breakfast. She loves to say thank you to me, even though my wife feeds her sometimes.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E Today, we sit and watch Netflix. This can vary. I like action movies, but my wife likes documentaries and kid\u0026rsquo;s movies.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I walk my dog at this time to make sure all of her necessities are taken care of, and she can go to bed. Sometimes, she is stubborn and likes to take 30-to-45-minute walks. Usually, it is more like 15-to-20-minute walks.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E11:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I say goodnight to my wife and dog, then I start working on my grad school assignments, projects, and self-learning. I pump some music and start working on the activity. Sometimes, I crack open an energy drink or a soda.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I go to bed because my wife keeps calling me to come to bed. I am happy with my work throughout the day and go to sleep.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaily total: $7.80\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDay Two\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E7:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E Same morning routine as yesterday.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I return back to the apartment to prepare breakfast for my dog; however, I decide to go to the supermarket to get snacks and energy drinks. $25\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:20 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I feed Boo her prepped meal and enjoy breakfast with her. We walk to the office and fire up the computers then go back to the kitchen to eat our meals.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:30 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI start my day pumping some music at my personal computer. I needed some motivation. Currently, I have received a rejection from the\u0026nbsp;government [for a job]. I am still confused why I was rejected. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E9:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I try to concentrate and not think too much about it; however, I decide to create a plan to apply again and improve myself to be a better candidate, and I can go through the process again.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI have decided to start learning a new language. I fire up my Udemy course for the new language and start practicing and learning. I think that this is great to prepare myself. I sometimes feel imposter syndrome; however, I can rewind all the things that I have accomplished and try to create a road map to target the unknown.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E11:00 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI remotely attend work meetings about current projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI quickly grab lunch and eat. I am a fan of the cold sandwich with extra cheese and ham. I work on projects based on my deadlines to achieve something. I attend more meetings.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4:45 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I grab all my current tasks that are needed to be finalized for the day and make notes to make sure I can pick them up the next day if not completed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI return to the dog park with my wife.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6:45 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI stop at the grocery shop to stack up my pantry. \u003Cstrong\u003E$150\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EWe eat tacos, and after dinner, I wash the dishes. I thank my wife for dinner and move to my office to start working on school projects, self-learning, and other projects.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EMy dog and I do our routine nightly walk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E11:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E Again, I say goodnight to my wife and begin working on my schoolwork.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E1:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I wrap up for the night and head to bed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaily total: $175\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDay Three\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 a.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E My alarm went off at 7, and my wife had already left for work. I wake up and start preparing my dog for her walk. Since I slept in, I grab my work phone and see if there are any upcoming meetings that I need to prepare for or attend.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E9:00 a.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EAfter feeding my dog, my dog comes with me to my office and lays under the desk. That\u0026rsquo;s her cubicle, and she works all day with me. It is good to have my dog next me as I can pet her or play fetch. At my studio, I get new projects that I will be working on for the next couple of weeks within my team. I reach out to the people who will affect my work and verify that all the information is correct in case I need to ask questions.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI have updated my board with a quote, \u0026ldquo;If you are unfulfilled, build something.\u0026rdquo; And \u0026ldquo;When you are afraid, you get frozen.\u0026rdquo; I heard them on YouTube.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EI continue learning my new language. I think that I will complete my goal of a new language.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E2:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I drive to Panda to grab some orange chicken and white rice. I love Panda. $10\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E4:45 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I wrap up for work for the day.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E5:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E My wife and I go to the dog park. Since it is Wednesday, they have wine and beer. We grab a drink and enjoy while we play with our dog. \u003Cstrong\u003E$15\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E6:45 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EWe stop at the gas station to get gas and gum. \u003Cstrong\u003E$30\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E8:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E My wife makes my favorite dish, which is pasta and shrimp, and I really enjoy that with extra, extra cheese.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E10:00 p.m.\u003C\/strong\u003E I take Boo for our nightly walk.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E11:00 p.m. \u003C\/strong\u003EI work on my schoolwork until 1 a.m. and head to bed.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch3\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDaily total: $55\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h3\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch2\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThree-Day Total: $237.80\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h2\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Office of graduate Education is looking for graduate students who are willing to journal their day-to-day life and finances for three to seven days. Do you have a graduate student diary that you would like to share? \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_4JwZgOAM8wAtnXE?jfefe=new\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ESubmit your story here\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":"","field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The Grad Student Diaries shed light on shared challenges, successes, and emotions that students balance while navigating through graduate school. "}],"uid":"36249","created_gmt":"2023-02-22 14:52:18","changed_gmt":"2023-02-22 15:48:49","author":"Sara Franc","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2023-02-22T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"666061":{"id":"666061","type":"image","title":"Paul Pasato Leon","body":null,"created":"1677077770","gmt_created":"2023-02-22 14:56:10","changed":"1677077770","gmt_changed":"2023-02-22 14:56:10","alt":"","file":{"fid":"251881","name":"Paul - Cybersecurity - 2.9.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Paul%20-%20Cybersecurity%20-%202.9.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Paul%20-%20Cybersecurity%20-%202.9.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":236652,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Paul%20-%20Cybersecurity%20-%202.9.jpg?itok=zwyTEt89"}}},"media_ids":["666061"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_4JwZgOAM8wAtnXE?jfefe=new","title":"Share Your Story Here! "}],"groups":[{"id":"221981","name":"Graduate Studies"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1808","name":"graduate students"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:sara.franc@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESara Franc\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nGraduate and Postdoctoral Education\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}