This UC student sees success in the checkpoints

You can count Siinboon Daba among those naturally inclined toward IT. The fourth-year University of Cincinnati cybersecurity student has known he wanted to work in a computer-focused field since an early age, when he first found himself drawn to the digital world.

“I've used technology since I was like 4 years old,” says Daba. “Whether it was playing games, watching YouTube or actually doing technical stuff on the computer, I always had an affinity for technology. Interacting with it, using it to disseminate information and automate things and just be more efficient in the things that I do—that's kind of the heart of information technology.”

Daba’s older brother had attended UC, so Daba knew the institution was an option—though the Columbus, Ohio, native initially had another university in his sights. But when he took a close look at what, exactly, he was interested in doing for a career, the School of Information Technology (part of UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology, or CECH) and its cybersecurity program made for an obvious choice.

“I didn't want to go the computer science route because I wasn't that passionate about engineering, but I was still passionate about tech,” he explains. “So when I had to make that decision, I'm like, this is the school for me. And UC's co-op program was a big sell.”

Another big draw? UC’s 4+1 program, which enables him to pursue an MBA as he works toward a bachelor of science in cybersecurity. “I was like, if I'm going to come in with so many credits, I might as well just throw this master’s in and graduate in the same time as if I didn't come with any credits,” he says, explaining that he benefitted from the College Credit Plus program in high school. “Overall, I just felt like UC made a lot of sense for me.”

UC has surely met Daba’s academic needs, and he was recently recognized at the 2024 SoIT Academic Achievement & Alumni Dinner as one of two 4.0 students (alongside Elsy Prempeh) in the school – an honor he prefers to take in stride. “I felt really good about it, but this is just the checkpoint. I didn't get here because I wanted the recognition but because I wanted to be the person capable of doing that.”

And Daba is eager to take his newly learned skills outside of the classroom and into the world, already completing internships with organizations such as DMG and Procter & Gamble. Next summer he’ll return to P&G for a project management internship.

Beyond campus and co-ops, though, Daba has found a wealth of meaningful opportunities at the university, too. “I couldn't be any happier that I chose this to be my school,” he says. “I've found people who not only empower me but who I also connect and bond with. And not only for the friends that I made, but the realization of the type of person that I could be because of what this school has to offer.”

Daba has certainly stayed active and connected as a student, currently serving as co-vice president of the African Student Association; co-founder and programming chair of UC US Coalition (an organization aimed toward spreading awareness about domestic violence, human trafficking and sexual assault within the Cincinnati area); and public relations chair for the UC Collegiate Black Men’s Honorary. He’s also an active member of the Cincinnatus Society and Sigma Sigma. At the college level, he serves as a CECH ambassador and, in a role close to his heart, mentors younger students through the Student Success Coaching program.