Brandall Peters, a 2017 graduate of Pfeiffer University, has seldom known a dull moment.

During his childhood in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C., he auditioned for children’s roles in movies and television shows. When work in show business failed to materialize, he decided, at age 8, that baseball would become his thing.

After becoming a fixture on the travel ball circuit, he came to the attention of recruiters from Pfeiffer, for which he played centerfield on scholarship when the University competed at the Division II level. Along the way, Peters majored in Computer Information Systems at Pfeiffer — an experience that helped him land his current contractor job as a Senior Cyber Security Software Engineer for the Department of Defense.

Speaking on the telephone from Boston, where he now lives, Peters touched on a lot of topics, from the growing importance of cybersecurity to his time as a student-athlete at Pfeiffer. He praised his parents for instilling in him the importance of academics. “At some point you’re going to play your last game, whether you’re in the pros or not,” Peters remembers them saying to him and his brothers, who also played baseball.

Peters, CISSP holder and Certified Ethical Hacker, stated that his current job entails protecting the warfighter along with the nation’s assets but couldn’t elaborate further due to confidentiality and security reasons. He was, however, able to offer his stance on the future of Cybersecurity in a world driven by AI: “As we implement AI and have these autonomous agents working on our behalf, we have to grow in terms of security.”

Peters received an excellent education in CIS at Pfeiffer, but he has had to learn cybersecurity on the job. No matter: “I was prepared to learn after I graduated from Pfeiffer and transferred into the workplace. I was prepared to ask questions. I was prepared to have tough conversations. I was prepared to figure out my spot within the industry.”

Peters praised Dr. Ali Sever, a Professor of Computer Information Systems at Pfeiffer, for serving as his “very important advisor.” Sever gave Peters books on programming to read, updated him on industry trends, and wrote recommendation letters for him.

Sever also introduced Peters to the University’s Help Desk, where Peters eventually helped students with computer-related issues. Peters also tutored students in CIS subjects.

Sever called Peters’ success “incredibly rewarding.” He said his former student “consistently demonstrated a strong work ethic, curiosity, and a willingness to learn beyond the classroom.” He added that Peters’ “early experiences, whether working in IT support, engaging in internships, or building technical skills, laid out a solid foundation.”

What truly sets Brandall apart, Sever says, is his initiative and professionalism.

“Cybersecurity is a field that often requires continuous, self-driven learning, and Brandall embraced that mindset early on,” Sever said. “His success is a great example of how combining academic preparation with real-world experience and determination can lead to outstanding career outcomes.”

When Peters wasn’t working on academics, he did all he could to establish himself on the diamond. He didn’t become a starter until his junior and senior years — an experience that taught him the importance of patience and determination.

“I was a speedy center field guy,” he said. “I think my defense was one of the things that separated me from the pack. My hitting was kind of on par. Sometimes I would get into a hitting slump, but what always saved me was my defense.”

Peters’ future looks bright. He is thinking of establishing his own cybersecurity firm or of starting a fund dedicated to investing in cybersecurity and defense startups.

He credits Pfeiffer for giving him an opportunity to pursue these and other options. “The University was a great place for me to develop into an adult,” he said. “It was a safe, nurturing school environment where teachers and coaches cared about you.”