Kean Student Veteran Builds a Future in Cybersecurity

Kean University senior and U.S. Air Force veteran Jeremiah Renvill is preparing to become his family’s first college graduate while gaining experience for a cybersecurity career through internships with state and federal law enforcement agencies.

Renvill enlisted in the Air Force in 2018 after graduating from high school, beginning five years of service that included a deployment to Niger in 2022. His work in Security Forces involved law enforcement and security, and he also served as an honor guardsman. His interest in cybersecurity developed during that time, when colleagues encouraged him to explore the field.

After leaving the Air Force, Renvill returned to New Jersey in 2023 to be closer to his family as his parents approached retirement. He found his way to Kean after connecting with the Center for Veteran Student Success. 

"I was going in completely blind," Renvill said. "I'm a first-generation college student. I really had no idea what I was doing, and they've been a great help since then."

Renvill turned his interest in cybersecurity into professional experience at Kean through an internship with the New Jersey Transit Police Department’s intelligence unit. There, he reviewed surveillance footage, helped identify individuals sought by law enforcement and prepared intelligence reports. 

This fall, he is interning at the Newark office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he is gaining experience in digital forensics and reviewing camera footage.

"Jeremiah has had clear goals from the beginning,” said Rosana Silva, acting director of the Center for Veteran Student Success. “Ever since I met him, he has known that he wants to work in cybersecurity in a federal agency."

Renvill also supports fellow veterans through his work at the center, helping them navigate their education benefits and maintaining the lounge as a welcoming space to connect.

"We’re able to get things off our chest,” Renvill said. “We can talk about coming back home, being around family again and how different life is after the military. We get really deep and talk about life, the transition and what we want to do next."

In early 2025, Renvill researched the SALUTE Veterans National Honor Society and introduced it to the University. He was among the first students inducted that spring. 

“He's all about helping his fellow veterans," Silva said.