Gabe Cash, SPA/MS ’20, is passionate about doing what he can to bolster the homeland security enterprise.

After completing his master’s degree in terrorism and homeland and security policy, he became a national security consultant with Guidehouse, a global consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. Cash works in project management with public sector clients, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the State Department.

Cash, 26, said he was able to land his job because of the experience he gained inside and outside the classroom at AU. Coursework in cybersecurity, for instance, gave him content knowledge in the field, and his practicum experience allowed him the chance to join a project team at the U.S. Department of Justice.

“The way group projects were structured at AU definitely helped; [as] with many jobs, you’re working with people from a variety of different backgrounds and different viewpoints,” Cash said. “Being able to bring out the best ideas in people [and] manage a team and deadlines––it’s those things that really make or break a project.”

Cash also participated in some co-curricular activities through SPA, including the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, in which teams from different universities compete in a policy planning exercise in response to realistic emergency scenarios. In the Homeland Security Communications Lab, which met on Saturday afternoons, Cash developed valuable practical writing and briefing skills.

Cash, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with an international concentration, found the most value in AU’s culture of heavy faculty interaction.

“The professors are so seasoned and experienced in their fields,” Cash said. “They really engage with students in the courses and are willing to help out with career planning and networking.”