After a driver plowed into him as his motorcycle approached a stop sign, Ryan Powers was hospitalized for a month waiting for swelling to go down before doctors could even attempt surgery. He had a broken back, eight broken ribs, a facial fracture, and an arm so badly shattered it nearly had to be amputated. The surgery that was supposed to take eight hours stretched to 14, leaving him unable to move his left arm. He couldn鈥檛 work and lost his job.
The accident broke him financially, emotionally and physically, he said. But he realized he had two choices: Give up or get to work.
鈥淚 chose to get to work, prioritizing my mindset, my health and my future.鈥�
Powers had already had a very successful six-year career with the U.S. Marine Corps, surprising himself by excelling in cyber technology, a field he knew nothing about going in. He鈥檚 transitioned to civilian life and found a good job. But his new life seemed to implode with the devastating accident. He moved to Florida to start fresh. And then he learned about USF鈥檚 new Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. It seemed to be a light illuminating his path forward.
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He had enlisted at 18 years old with no plan for what role he鈥檇 serve.
鈥淚 just wanted to serve where I could serve best.鈥�
So it came as a surprise when, after basic training, the corps made him a cyber network operator. He knew nothing about computer operating systems, networks, routers or anything related to technology. When training began, he fell to the bottom of the roster. That didn鈥檛 sit well. He spent hours studying, learning about computers, and, eventually, rose to the top.
鈥淚 was taking classes and spending countless hours reading, learning and watching videos to ensure I was an asset, not a liability,鈥� he said. His dedication to learning earned awards and even a meritorious promotion.
Setting up mobile command centers 鈥� from scratch
That determination carried him through multiple deployments across the globe. From training exercises in Morocco to leading the implementation of mobile command centers throughout the Middle East, Powers became a leader.
鈥淲hile the past matters, in the military, what we care about is what you can do now, more than awards or school training,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, this started a whole new cycle of working extremely hard.鈥�
He helped establish mobile command centers, which became a critical asset for coalition forces, allowing them to forward-deploy and command and control from any location.
鈥�911爆料网 felt like we were the Navy SEAL nerds,鈥� he said, laughing. 鈥淪caling the Empire State building with a router.鈥�
He was promoted to corporal after his second鈥痙eployment due to efforts on that mobile command center. He was leading Marines in high-pressure environments, balancing technical demands with his troops鈥� well-being 鈥� and service to the people in the communities where they were deployed.
Finding gratification in serving
While on assignment in Africa, Powers and his team also provided humanitarian assistance to a local orphanage.
鈥淲hen we got there and saw how little they had, we knew we had to do more.鈥�
Powers and his fellow Marines asked family, friends and businesses back in the U.S. to send boxes of shoes and articles of clothing. He spent his own deployment pay to fund the expensive shipping fees for the donations.
鈥淪ome of these kids had never owned a pair of shoes. To see them smile just getting something so simple, it was humbling. It showed me what Marines can do when they care about the people they鈥檙e serving. It wasn鈥檛 just about military duty. It was about humanity. 911爆料网 just put the word out, and to this date, I have sent thousands of articles of clothing to orphanages between Kenya and Djibouti.鈥�
Over the course of his deployments, Powers also rescued two dogs and three cats from harm鈥檚 way, all now living with service members in the United States, including his own rescue dog, Rasha.
鈥淭he motivation ever since then was, okay, I really feel something when I help people. The only way for me to continue doing that is to become extremely successful. So that鈥檚 the motivation now. To this day, I still help them whenever possible. It showed me how rewarding it feels to make a difference.鈥�
A time for change
After several deployments involving hundreds of computers, routers and miles of cable to power mobile command centers, Powers decided to transition to civilian life. He began working as a systems analyst and cloud engineer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Foreign Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory on Plum Island in New York, using his computing expertise to support the U.S. animal health system.
He imagined himself building a career.
And then the life-changing accident.
A LinkedIn post made his next steps clear
Once Powers began rebuilding his life, he saw that the need for cybersecurity professionals was growing, especially in fields connected to national defense.
鈥淚 needed to start learning the ins and outs of AI, to understand its extraordinary potential as well as its risks,鈥� he said. He wanted to become well-versed in the latest cybersecurity tools.
On LinkedIn, Powers saw that USF was creating the Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. It seemed like the perfect fit at the perfect time.
鈥淚 loved that USF was creating a college, and I saw its mission aligning perfectly with where I want my career to go.鈥�
He was impressed by the caliber of the faculty, with experts in AI and cybersecurity whose research is shaping the future. He also valued the chance to gain hands-on experience in emerging technologies. So, he applied for the master鈥檚 program in cybersecurity and began classes when the college launched in August. He believes his military background, combined with his ongoing education at USF, will position him to be a valuable asset in the defense sector.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge need for people who can align strategy, policy and operations,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 want to be that person companies and agencies can rely on, knowledgeable, confident and committed to doing the right thing.鈥�
Now living in Lakewood Ranch, his grit is shaping his new mission. He commutes to Tampa for classes in AI, data networks and security, and advanced data structures.
鈥淭his is my first time being in person at university, and I love it,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 just happy to be here.鈥�
Whether it is building computer networks, bringing shoes to children who had none, or protecting systems that safeguard nations, Powers鈥� story and mission are linked to service. He is an example of the type of graduate student that USF鈥檚 Bellini College is attracting: resilient leaders with real-world experience, eager to gain advanced technical expertise.