Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
The Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot program, the nation’s largest and fastest growing youth cyber education (STEM) program, has designated Red Bank Regional High School as a “CyberPatriot Center of Excellence” in providing leadership and support to students through their CyberPatriot program.
Pictured are the members of Team Maroon from Red Bank Regional AOIT, which took first place in the CyberPatriot NJ State Competition. Left to right: Young Chen, Andrew Costa, Woody Quinn, Bobby Villaluz, Jack Ferrone, Kyle Neary.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
The recent hackings of American government and corporate institutions have rocked our nation and emphasized how important a superior cyber security industry is to the defense of the United States. Finding talented individuals to fill the future roles of our Cyber Patriot warriors is the reason the Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot Competitions were developed.
For the past eight years, Red Bank Regional High School has offered a superior program in Cyber Security for its students in the award-winning Academy of Information Technology (AOIT). In fact, in the first year the Cyberpatriot contest opened to public high schools, RBR took first place in the nation.
RBR exhibited this same strong performance in the CyberPatriot State Round that took place on January 14. That day six RBR teams worked from the school media center to compete virtually, determined to take the title for New Jersey. They ended the six-hour competition by sweeping the First, Second and Third place NJ State finishes.
Red Bank Regional technology teacher Mandy Galante is pictured with her former student Luke Matarazzo, now an Outstanding Undergraduate Scholar at Rochester Institute of Technology. Luke nominated her for special recognition during his last semester at college as the “best” teacher and role model that influenced his future.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
In the 14 years since she left corporate America to become a technology teacher at Red Bank Regional High School, Mandy Galante has been named Monmouth County Teacher of the Year, and New Jersey’s Teacher of the Year by the Air Force Association. Her CyberPatriot teams have won state, regional and national titles every year since 2011. Lieutenant Governor Kim Gaudagno has twice visited RBR to commend her students, while WABC-TV’s Eyewitness News and NJ Channel 1 have each aired reports on the curricula she designed.
That said, Mrs. Galante holds no accolade in higher esteem than the recognition and appreciation she receives from her students — such as a 2012 honor she received from Yale University, when a former student nominated her for Yale’s Educator Award.
This past semester, Galante found herself the recipient of a certificate of recognition from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) — an honor that came about when she was nominated by another RBR graduate, Luke Matarazzo.
Red Bank Regional CyberPatriot Team Maroon members are (back row, left to right) junior Kyle Neary (captain), senior Andrew Noglows, sophomore Jack Ferrone, and (front row, left to right) junior Young Chen, junior Bobby Villaluz, and sophomore Andrew Costa.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
In a few weeks, Red Bank Regional High School‘s Team Maroon will be hardening defenses and battling stealth cyber attacks to claim the trophy in the Air Force Association’s (AFA) prestigious CyperPatriot National Finals competition on April 10-12.
The six-man team consisting of captain Kyle Neary, Bobby Villaluz, Young Chen, Andrew Noglows, Jack Ferrone and Andrew Costa will travel with their coaches — RBR Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) teachers Mandy Galante and Jeremy Milonas — to Baltimore, MD, where they will be competing among the top 12 teams in the country.
This represents the third visit to the National Competition in six years for an RBR team. They won the National championship in the first year of the competition’s opening to public high schools, and last year finished in a close race to fourth place.
The teams clinched the State Championship in late February with an amazing showing by three RBR teams (Maroon, Gray and White); sweeping the state championship by coming in first, second and third. Those teams then competed in the Northeast Regionals against the top teams from Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut, where Team Maroon won First Place. More importantly, their score in that round was the seventh highest of all teams nationwide, placing them in the elite top 12 teams, and securing their invitation to the Nationals competition.
Three of the four New Jersey teams competing in upcoming National Youth Cyber Defense Competition — all from Little Silver — are pictured with their coaches. Front row, L-R: Sophie Navarro, Sam Jansky, Brooke Arend, Josh Sapirstein, Leanne Spears, Mentor Ryan McVeety. Middle row: Mentor Greg Jansky, Holly Scanlon, Charlotte Jansky, Erin Rooy, Matt Swaggerty, Middle School Assitant Coach Kristen Galante. Back row: Coach Jeremy Milonas, Kyle Neary, Louis DiOrio, Tyler Birn, Mark Eulner, Josh Even, Coach Mandy Galante. The teams welcome NJ citizens to follow them on Twitter, hashtag #NJCyberStrong.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
At a time when the press is bemoaning the loss of high tech jobs from the Garden State, New Jersey schools — recognized among the best in the country — are building the bench to provide the “cyber patriot warriors” that will defend and protect the United States from cyber crime and terrorism.
This reality will be on display March 11 to 13 in Washington D.C., when New Jersey will be the only state represented in all three divisions of the prestigious Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.
Team Alpha from NWS Earle placed second in the All Service Division (Cadets), in a competition that began with over 1000 teams. Team Maroon from Red Bank Regional High School led the way by taking the Number Five slot in the Open Division (High School) finals, after having competed with 978 teams. In the Middle School Division, two teams from Markham Place School in Little Silver won the first and third place slots. They competed among nearly 200 teams nationwide.
Pictured left to right are embers of Red Bank Regional Academy of Information Technology “Team Maroon” Kyle Neary, Josh Eve, Tyler Birn, Louis DiOrio, Bobby Villaluz (being held up) and Mark Eulner). The students took first place in the State round of the CyberPatriot competition, among 48 competing teams.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
Two teams from the Red Bank Regional High School Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) recently finished first and second in New Jersey in the state round of the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Both teams now go on to compete in the regional round of the competition, which takes place January 16- 18.
In all, 2,175 teams registered to compete in the nationwide Cyber Patriot tournament, with 48 teams from New Jersey.
Academy of Information Technology students at Red Bank Regional recently clinched the New Jersey CyperPatriot State championship. Pictured above are (seated, left to right): Cris Sochaki, Zach Carrano, Tyler Birn, Josh Even, Christian Bonomo; (standing) RBR AOIT teacher Jeremy Milonas, Alex Dannecker, Louis DiOrio, Tucker Machard, Ryan Terpak, Mark Eulner, RBR AOIT teacher Mandy Galante.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
Students from the Academy of Information Technology (AOIT) at Red Bank Regional High School once again proved victorious in a major cybersecurity competition, by clinching the New Jersey CyberPatriot State championship. The cybersecurity team from RBR also finished in second place — behind the MIT-sponsored Massachusetts team — in the regional competition of northeastern states.
The ten students composing the NJ championship team are Tyler Birn (Red Bank), Zach Carrano and Tucker Machard (both Little Silver), Josh Even and Mark Eulner (both Shrewsbury), and Christian Bonomo, Alex Dannecker, Louis DiOrio, Chris Sochaki and Ryan Terpak (all Union Beach). Tucker Machard is a senior; Christian Bonomo is a sophomore, while the rest of the team are juniors.
The RBR Cyber Patriot team includes (front row, left to right): Alex Dannecker (Union Beach), Mark Eulner (Shrewsbury), Tucker Machard (Little Silver), Tyler Birn (Red Bank), Ryan Terpak (Union Beach). Back row: Mr. Jeremy Milonas, RBR team mentor; Cris Sochacki (Union Beach), Josh Even (Shrewsbury), Zach Carrano (Little Silver ), Louis DiOrio (Union Beach), and Mrs. Mandy Galante, RBR team coach. Not pictured: Christian Bonomo (Union Beach).
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional High School’s cyber security students have once again performed exceptionally well in this year’s Air Force Association national premier Cyber Patriot competition.
The team, which began preparations over the summer, has progressed to the semi-final competition after succeeding in two qualifying rounds. They are one of 50 teams to make the cut among 600 who competed in the nation.
RBR teacher Mandy Galante of Little Silver has been recognized by the SANS Institute with a nationwide award for education in Cybersecurity.
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
Little Silver resident Mandy Galante, a teacher at Red Bank Regional High School‘s Academy of Information Technology, was recognized recently by the SANS Institute with its award for “People Who Made a Difference in Cybersecurity in 2013.”
Mrs. Galante was one of two high school teachers honored, along with college instructors and professionals in the cyber security field in government and private industry. She continues to guide her students in regional, state and national competitions in cyber security and information technology. Most recently, her students reached the semi-finals in the national Cyber Patriot competition by scoring within the top 10 percent of over 600 competitors in the nation thus far.
The RBR Academy of Information Technology’s newest dream team of cyber warriors is pictured at their academy banner. They are (left to right): Josh Even, Shrewsbury; Tyler Birn, Red Bank; Mark Eulner, Shrewsbury; Zachary Carrano, Little Silver; Louis DiOrio, Union Beach, and Chris Sochacki, Union Beach (all juniors). (click to enlarge)
Press release from Red Bank Regional High School
Red Bank Regional (RBR) Academy of Technology (AOIT) students have continually and consistently scored high on local, regional, state and national technology competitions, particularly in the vitally important area of cyber technology. Recently, a team from RBR consisting of juniors Tyler Birn (Red Bank), Zachary Carrano (Little Silver), Louis DiOrio (Union Beach), Mark Eulner (Shrewsbury), Josh Even (Shrewsbury), and Chris Sochacki (Union Beach) has added a new, global level to RBR AOIT achievements. The team finished fifth out of 72 high school teams worldwide in the 2013 Cyberlympics Challenge. The top six teams were honored as the top high school global scorers.
Gemma Ciabattoni was the highest-ranking Red Banker at RBR this year. (Photo by Connor Soltas. Click to enlarge)
By CONNOR SOLTAS
Honored by the Red Bank mayor and council as the town’s top-ranking high school senior this year was Gemma Ciabattoni community volunteer, avid English student, varsity soccer player, actress, and big-time Scrabble enthusiast.
Councilwoman Kathy Horgan read a resolution at Wednesday’s council meeting recognizing Ciabattoni for having instilled “a sense of pride in all of the citizens of the Borough of Red Bank as a result of her outstanding achievements.”
Ciabattoni graduated from Red Bank Regional last month with a 97.67 grade point average, having taken numerous honors, advanced placement and international baccalaureate classes.
“Even though I’ve won a lot of scholarly honors, they’re not all they’re cracked up to be,” she told the audience at the meeting, “but being recognized is an honor in it itself.”