News Release        

For Immediate Release

June 7, 2022

Two Red River Students Recognized by National Cybersecurity Program

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Carson Mathre, a 2022 graduate of Red River High School, has been named a scholar by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) for his performance in the online cybersecurity training program CyberStart America.

Mathre's score placed him in the top 3% of program participants.

Lauryn Brynjulson, an incoming 10th grade student, was named a finalist by NCSF. Finalists placed in the top 5% of all CyberStart America competitors.

Mathre and Brynjulson were two of four North Dakotans who were named finalists in the program.

In recognition of their achievement, Brynjulson and Mathre earned an invitation to participate in the Cyber Foundations Academy, a multi-week online program based on the nationally recognized SANS Foundations training course and certification.

Brynjulson and Mathre were registered for the program and advised by instructor Paul Zettler.

Students competed for a top score against thousands of high school students across the nation by solving real-world cybersecurity problems. Over 45,000 students nationwide sought to qualify.

NCSF is a national non-profit whose mission is to identify, nurture and empower the next generation of cybersecurity experts and eliminate the cybersecurity skills gap in the United States. NCSF aims to support the entry of thousands of talented students into the cybersecurity industry by providing enrichment opportunities, world-class training, and scholarships to fund further study.

CyberStart America is a free national program for high school students, aiming to uncover hidden cyber talents, and identify and develop the next generation of cyber superstars. CyberStart’s gamified platform teaches students the skills necessary to complete a wide variety of realistic cybersecurity challenges and earn a scholarship in a matter of weeks.

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