Patrick Weadon
NSA Cryptological Museum
Annapolis, MD USA
"The more you know about the world, the better you’re going to be at your job."
Career Roadmap
Patrick's work combines: Education, Technology, and Learning / Being Challenged
See more careers and stories that connect to your interests.
Take Roadmap Quiz
Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
It is important to be educated, no matter who you are or what you do; whether you go to college or not. Education is the key to everything.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
American Government and Politics (United States)
Catholic University of America
Graduate Degree
History, General
American University
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
Currently serving as curator for the National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum, and is only the third curator in the museum’s history.
2.
His goal as curator is to give museum visitors a wider understanding of cryptology, as well as an appreciation for the NSA’s mission.
3.
Prior to being named curator of the museum, he worked in the NSA for over 20 years, holding jobs as a special agent and an intelligence research analyst, among others.
4.
Although the NSA was formed in 1954, he likes to point out that cryptology has been around since the beginning of time, and has shaped a surprisingly large amount of our history.
5.
One of his favorite things about cryptology is that it requires a balance of technical and artistic skills—and he believes everyone should seek out that kind of balanced education.
6.
Says that although we’re all well aware of the risks that new technologies present, history shows that we’ll continue to push the science forward.
7.
He personally doesn’t have a cell phone, but he’s aware that eschewing new technology isn’t a feasible solution for everyone.
8.
Instead, he says we must channel any good defensive team by staying agile, adjusting to new threats, and never wearing down in the face of a challenge.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
You don't have a cell phone? You must miss out on a lot of things.
How I responded:
If you are not in that technological club, people are going to think that it is strange. There is always a new piece of technology and new problems to go along with it. I had to learn to keep up. In the cyber world, the moment you think you have everything solved, something comes along to challenge you. You have to accept that and keep going.