Student Tour of Tucson Electric Power Leads to Coveted Cybersecurity Internship

Inside the Security Operations Center at Tucson Electric Power (TEP), rows of screens track the health of systems that help deliver electricity across Southern Arizona. Security analysts monitor alerts, investigate anomalies and respond to potential threats—work that helps protect one of the region’s most essential pieces of infrastructure.

Last fall, a group of College of Information Science (InfoSci) cybersecurity students stood inside that room for the first time.

For Jesse Ceja, a student in the Bachelor of Applied Science in Cyber Operations, the visit offered a rare look at how cybersecurity operates in the real world. And it set something in motion.

“I truly enjoyed the opportunity to visit and tour the TEP facility,” Ceja says. “The experience gave me valuable insight into how cybersecurity functions within the utility sector and helped me better understand how enterprise systems are protected in a critical infrastructure environment.”

Though he didn’t know it at the time, the visit would eventually lead to a competitive cybersecurity internship at TEP that begins this spring.

The tour was organized by the InfoSci career resources team, led by Career and Engagement Strategist Liz Marsalla, in collaboration with the Cyber Saguaros student organization thanks to Humza Sheikh, the club’s vice president and a BAS in Cyber Operations student. On the TEP side, the visit was coordinated by Cybersecurity Operations Center Analyst Adrian Martinez, a BAS in Cyber Operations alumnus who now works in TEP’s Enterprise Cyber Security group. Martinez also has a special connection to the students who visited: as a University of Arizona student, he was one of the founders the Cyber Saguaros club.

A Look Inside Critical Infrastructure

In total, 19 Bachelor’s in Cyber Operations students studying on campus and online participated in the tour. The visit gave them rare insight into both the physical and digital systems that power critical infrastructure.

Students explored the power generation facility before visiting the Security Operations Center, where analysts monitor cybersecurity threats in real time.

“The Tucson Electric Power tour was a very informative experience,” says student Alec Francisco. “TEP is one of the main providers of critical infrastructure for Tucson, and I was able to learn how TEP generates and distributes power to the city and other areas of the Southwest.”

Seeing cybersecurity operations in practice left an impression. “One of the most memorable moments was the tour of the SOC, where we saw what a security analyst does day to day,” he says. “It was inspiring to see how infrastructure is secured and monitored for potential threats.”

For many students, the visit connected their coursework with real-world practice. “I thoroughly enjoyed the TEP tour; it was such an amazing trip,” says David Marquez. “I found that a lot of things I learned in class, such as in my threat intel courses and cyber courses, applied to this tour. I was able to see firsthand how professionals work.”

Students also appreciated the chance to speak directly with cybersecurity professionals. “The visit helped me understand the big picture of cybersecurity operations and how different tools and processes come together to protect critical infrastructure,” says Humoyun Umarov.

Experiences like this are designed to help students connect their education with career pathways, says Interim Dean Catherine Brooks.

“Thanks to on-the-ground insights from industry partners like TEP, students see how the knowledge and skills they develop in the classroom are applied in the real world,” Brooks says. “Engaging directly with professionals can be transformative for students and their careers.”

The experience clearly resonated with the InfoSci students, Marsalla says: “They raved about their visit to TEP the whole way back to campus. It was a great opportunity for students to meet professionals and see firsthand what their careers can look like.”

From Tour to Internship

For Ceja, the visit opened the door to deeper engagement with the company. “At TEP I learned about much more than just cybersecurity,” he says. “I gained a deeper understanding of why cybersecurity is vital to critical infrastructure, such as power systems.”

After the tour, Ceja returned to TEP for a follow-up visit. “I connected with several TEP employees and had the privilege of shadowing a member of the cybersecurity team for a day,” he says.

He also learned about TEP’s year-long rotational cybersecurity internship, and when the internship was announced, he applied. After an interview that included both technical and team-based questions, Ceja was offered and accepted the internship, where he will work with cybersecurity teams across the organization.

“This internship will play an important role in preparing me for a future career in cybersecurity,” he says. “I hope to gain hands-on experience working in a real-world enterprise and critical infrastructure environment, where security, reliability and teamwork are essential.”

His path from visitor to intern highlights something the tour itself was designed to encourage: making connections, asking questions and taking the next step when opportunities arise. For students exploring careers in information science, sometimes a single visit can open the door.