BEA PATE

Beatrice Pate is an amazing story of personal triumph through hardship. She has found herself in situations where her basic needs could not be met. Additionally, she has had to work while going to school, taking care of sick family members at the same time. 

In the last two years she has lost multiple family members, but has managed to keep it together to continue her education. She has completed a bachelor’s degree and returned to Wake Tech as a dual major in Cybersecurity and Network Management. Meanwhile, Beatrice has managed to work a full-time job and secured another position in the work-based learning program as a SOC Analyst through the Carolina Cyber Network.

TESS THOMAS

Tess, a former furniture maker and studio artist from the low-country of South Carolina, found a new medium in code following a career-altering spine injury. Currently a student at Wake Technical Community College, she channels her passion for thoughtful, human-centric craft into web development., aspiring to contribute toward artful and accessible user-experiences. 

In her free time, Tess can usually be found trying to catch a fish or tinkering in the garden with her partner and rescue pup!