Top

Computer whiz and Running Start student uses intuition to stop would-be hackers

Wyatt PolasekJan. 6, 2020

To stop a hacker, one must think like a hacker, so anytime Wyatt Polasek enters an online competition or tackles a request to the Rogers High School Help Desk, he tries to enter the deep, dark mind of a cybercriminal.

“You have to know exactly what they’re doing and what their next move is,” said the 17-year-old Rogers’ senior and Running Start student at the Community College of Rhode Island.

“It’s like chess. You have to be a couple of moves ahead of them at all times.”

Polasek’s quick thinking and resourceful problem-solving has put him on the fast track to a career in cybersecurity. Thanks to CCRI’s Running Start program, he is getting a leg up on his peers by attending classes at the college’s Newport County Campus as a high school senior.

In 2020, he’ll enroll at CCRI as a Rhode Island Promise scholar with the ultimate goal of transferring to the University of Rhode Island to major in Computer Science with a minor in Cybersecurity. The professors and advisors at CCRI have helped guide Polasek down the right path.

“All my professors love the topic they are teaching, which is encouraging,” Polasek said. “You can spark up a good conversation with any of the teachers here and they are happy to talk to you after class and answer your questions. I’ve had great experiences at CCRI.”

Polasek became fascinated with computer science when his parents bought him an Apple desktop at the age of 11. He began honing his skills behind the keyboard, starting out small by modifying video games for he and his friends, known as “modding” within the gaming community. As he gained more experience, Polasek learned to code and eventually figured out how to detect security breaches on otherwise protected servers, a skill set that would be dangerous in the wrong hands, but beneficial in an industry where privacy is critical.

“Servers contain so much sensitive material, like students’ social security numbers or passwords,” Polasek said. “It’s scary to think what someone with bad intentions who’s really good at hacking could do with it.”

With monstrous data breaches making headlines in recent years – among them, the Target malware hack that compromised the credit card and banking information of more than 40 million customers – Polasek began connecting the dots between his unique ability and a potential career path.

“When I understood the demand in this field, that, for me, cemented the idea of becoming a cybersecurity expert.”

At Rogers, Polasek used his knowledge of computer science to co-create a student Help Desk with the school’s Information Technology (IT) department, a valuable resource for fellow students who needed quick and easily-accessible solutions to common IT problems. The school also offered him a paid a summertime internship as the Help Desk manager. A year later, he took two introductory Computer Science courses at CCRI as a junior with Professor John Mowry through P-TECH RI (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) before enrolling in the Running Start program in 2019.

The ability to take college-level courses and transferrable credits as a high-school senior has given Polasek a renewed sense of focus in the classroom. In addition to his work with the Rogers’ Help Desk, he competes regularly in online cybersecurity competitions – including CyberPatriot, which awards education grants to winners at the national level – and plans to take business courses next year at CCRI to learn how to properly invest his future earnings.

Working in the cybersecurity field will allow him to continue using his intuition and prowess to stop would-be hackers before they strike. 

“It’s really exciting to be 17 and still be a senior, but to be able to push myself and access my career so quickly,” he said. “With computer programming, you can teach yourself basic concepts and you can memorize the codes you need to know, but when it comes down to really understanding how the codes work and finding shortcuts, you really need someone to be a guiding hand. That’s where CCRI has been the most resourceful. The Running Start program has put me on the right path toward achieving my goals.”

Share this story

Latest News

CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic to Host Free Sealant and Fluoride Community Day for Children & Teens

CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic to Host Free Sealant and Fluoride Community Day for Children & Teens

March 31, 2025

The CCRI Dental Hygiene Clinic’s upcoming Sealant and Fluoride Community Day on Friday, April 25, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM at the Lincoln Campus will provide free dental sealants and fluoride treatments for children and teens ages 6 to 17. The event will be led by CCRI’s dental hygiene students, who will provide preventative care under the supervision of licensed professionals.

Read More

Lucas Johnson Named Rhode Island's 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar

Lucas Johnson Named Rhode Island's 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar

March 17, 2025

Warwick, RI- Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) student and Warwick resident, Lucas Johnson, has been named a 2025 New Century Transfer Scholar and will receive a $2,250 scholarship.

Read More

Governor McKee, CCRI Announces Launch of Associate Degree in Culinary Craftsmanship

Governor McKee, CCRI Announces Launch of Associate Degree in Culinary Craftsmanship

March 07, 2025

NEWPORT, RI – Governor Dan McKee and the Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) today announced the launch of an associate in arts degree in Culinary Craftsmanship on CCRI’s Newport Campus in fall 2025. To support this initiative, Governor McKee is proposing $850,000 to create a Culinary and Hospitality hub at CCRI’s Newport Campus. The hub will serve as a state-of-the-art learning environment designed to meet the growing demand for skilled culinary professionals in Rhode Island’s workforce.

Read More

CCRI Metallica Scholars: Forging Paths to Success in Healthcare

CCRI Metallica Scholars: Forging Paths to Success in Healthcare

March 05, 2025

For students like Esther Duran, of Providence, Wanda Wrobleski, of Cumberland, and Richard Garcia, of Providence, the journey to a fulfilling career in healthcare has been transformed thanks to the Community College of Rhode Island and the Metallica Scholars Initiative (MSI). Funded by a $75,000 grant from the legendary rock band’s foundation, All Within My Hands, this initiative provides financial support to students enrolled in CCRI’s Medical Assistant and Patient Support Specialist workforce training programs—helping to alleviate financial burdens and empower students to focus on their education and career goals.

Read More

CCRI Women's Basketball Team Punches Ticket to National Tournament

CCRI Women's Basketball Team Punches Ticket to National Tournament

March 05, 2025

Warwick, RI- The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Women’s Basketball teamshowcased their dominance once again in the NJCAA Region XXI Conference, securing the regional title for the fourth year in a row and, punching their ticket to the National Tournament.

Read More

CCRI Players Present Stephen Sondheim's Assassins

CCRI Players Present Stephen Sondheim's Assassins

March 04, 2025

WARWICK, RI – The Community College of Rhode Island (CCRI) Players continue their 2024–25 season with a bold and thought-provoking production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s Assassins, running March 6–9 at the Bobby Hackett Theatre on CCRI's Knight Campus.

Read More

CCRI Players Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence

CCRI Players Celebrate 50 Years of Excellence

February 14, 2025

The Community College of Rhode Island's (CCRI) student-run theatre group, the CCRI Players, proudly marks half a century of participation in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Region 1, held this year at Central Connecticut State University. Over the five-day event, the Players distinguished themselves by securing 10 awards across various disciplines, including acting and properties design.

Read More

Black History Month

Black History Month

February 10, 2025

February marks  Black History Month, a time to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans in this country; a time to acknowledge the lasting achievements of the people of the African diaspora who have shaped American history; and a time to walk alongside today’s Black leaders as they lead the work to create a truly anti-racist, inclusive community for all.

Read More

Fall 2024 Dean's List

Fall 2024 Dean's List

January 08, 2025

The Community College of Rhode Island announces its Fall 2024 Dean's List. Students enrolled in a degree program who have completed 12 credits with a grade point average of 3.25 or higher this semester with no grade lower than “C” are eligible for this scholastic honor.

Read More

World Languages student and Rhode Island native wins fifth Emmy Award for film-editing technology

World Languages student and Rhode Island native wins fifth Emmy Award for film-editing technology

December 13, 2024

Cranston, RI, native Thomas Ohanian, a World Languages & Cultures student completing his independent study, recently won his fifth Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy Award for co-inventing the Avid Multicamera System, a technology that has revolutionized the film-making and editing industry.

Read More

College's Division of Workforce Partnerships earns 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award

College's Division of Workforce Partnerships earns 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award

December 12, 2024

The Community College of Rhode Island’s Division of Workforce Partnerships has won the 2024 PACE-RI Academic Partnership Award for its work in developing free training programs to help upskill more than 50 employees through online trainings and in-person courses at PACE’s East Providence, RI, headquarters and CCRI’s Providence Campus.

Read More

CCRI Players tackle themes of doubt and uncertainty with final production of fall semester

CCRI Players tackle themes of doubt and uncertainty with final production of fall semester

December 12, 2024

Beginning today, the CCRI Players launch a four-day run of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt: A Parable, produced by CCRI Performing Arts Professor Luke Sutherland and scheduled for five performances at the college’s Providence Campus Auditorium. Showtimes are 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday with 2 pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

Read More

Employee Spotlight: Michael Marrapodi

Employee Spotlight: Michael Marrapodi

November 27, 2024

Michael Marrapodi has joined CCRI as the new Executive Director of Online Learning. He has been involved with education since teaching music at a private school during his senior year of college in 1976 and is now an innovative leader in the online learning sector.

Read More

Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time

Second-year Biology student, PTK scholar helps feed the homeless one sandwich at a time

November 26, 2024

Eighteen-year-old Rhode Island Promise scholar and Warwick, RI, resident Lucas Johnson revived an old family tradition this past summer with Sandwich Party Sundays – a unique opportunity to spread joy and good cheer to Providence's homeless population each weekend at Kennedy Plaza. 

Read More

Alumni Spotlight: Flavia A. Albert, M.A.

Alumni Spotlight: Flavia A. Albert, M.A.

November 25, 2024

A Providence, RI, native, and Community College of Rhode Island Class of 2011 alumna, Flavia A. Albert, M.A., is on the verge of releasing her first children's book next month to combine her passion for behavioral health and early childhood development with her love for storytelling.

Read More

Upcoming Events
Jan.
1

English Language Studies (ELS) - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Driver Ed for Teens - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Basic Life Support (BLS) CPR Courses - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Maritime Electric Boat Programs - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Westerly Education Center (WEC)

Jan.
1

Fast Track to CNC Manufacturing - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Liston Campus

Jan.
1

Teacher Assistant - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Motorcycle Rider Education - Ongoing Seasonal

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Para-Pro Review Classes and Testing - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Jan.
1

Bridge Program - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Liston Campus

Jan.
1

Global Wind Organization - Basic Safety Training - Ongoing

January 1, 2025 All Day

Flanagan Campus