Ryan Baity

Concerning my favorite FRC memory, it would without a doubt, be the trip we took to Sapelo Island. I took the trip as a senior and at that point, many of the FRC members I joined within my sophomore year had left the program or had graduated and this trip was a great way to meet the new members. It was my favorite for three reasons. First, it was a much-needed break from the necessary stresses of school and ROTC. Second, the island, the scenery, the general aura, and its residents were remarkable. Finally, as mentioned and most importantly, it was a great way to make new friends and get to know new people! I honestly find that last point to be the most valuable asset that the FRC provides. This is not exclusive to the Sapelo trip. While going to classes and doing what needs to be done daily, the FRC, in my own experience, provides that home for you to come back to after a busy day. It provides you with familiar surroundings, familiar people, and a familiar environment. It indeed turns a fast-paced 35,000+ student university into a small community every night right in the heart of the stellar UGA campus. I will never forget the countless nights I spent in the programming room of Rutherford Hall with my fellow FRC friends. I will never forget the service projects, the academic guest lectures, the social events, and of course, the cookie nights. Those memories bring a smile to my face every time I think of them and will surely be a strong and enduring bright spot when I look back on my college years. I will always remember my FRC family even as I move on in life.

The same day I graduated from UGA, back in May of 2019, I commissioned as an active duty Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force. I am proudly serving the greatest country on earth alongside some of the most intelligent, most ambitious, and most patriotic leaders our country has to offer. I have always held firm that we live in a country where if you work hard, nothing and no one can stop you from achieving your goals. My goals in attending UGA were to become an officer in the U.S. Air Force and to become a leader in the complex cyber realm. I proudly achieved both goals via both the completion of the Air Force ROTC program and the Computer Science degree program all leading me to now serve as a Cyberspace Operations Officer. My first assignment on active duty is up here in Dayton, Ohio at Wright-Patterson AFB, where I am working on my M.S. Cyber Operations degree at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). It is a rigorous program but UGA has prepared me well! I’ll graduate from here in March 2021, and then head off to Keesler AFB cyber training. I am genuinely excited about this progression in life and can’t wait to see where it takes me! I cannot thank the FRC enough for its unique role in my growth.