This story is part of a series highlighting the university’s outstanding graduates crossing the stage on May 16.
Inor Wang, a senior in the College of AI, Cyber and Computing, grew up with a clear plan. His parents, first-generation immigrants from China, had expectations for him and his brother to pursue careers in medicine. While his older brother pursued a career in finance and economics, Wang initially set his sights on medicine. When his plans did not unfold as expected, he reconsidered his future and ultimately redirected him toward a new opportunity.
“I was under pressure from my peers and my family to pursue a stable, prestigious and lucrative career,” Wang said. “I didn’t want to become a doctor, dentist or lawyer. So, I threw myself in a loop — a loop of uncertainty of what I’d do after high school.”
While attending Brandeis High School, a chance encounter with a JROTC instructor introduced a different path. The instructor connected Wang to the CyberPatriots Program, a national youth cyber education program created by the Air and Space Forces Association.
He joined and found a renewed sense of direction.
“I like learning and figuring things out, and I push myself to get better, but I also tend to hold myself to a high standard,” he said.
This month, Wang is graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration in cybersecurity, and with a minor in computer science.
Choosing to attend UT San Antonio became a deeply personal decision. He immersed himself in campus life, internships, undergraduate research and volunteer work. Off campus, Wang works at H-E-B as a produce perishables representative.
“From the start, I didn’t just want to go to class and leave,” he said. “I wanted to be a part of the community by making an effort to meet new people, join student organizations, attend events, and over time, those connections turned into real friendships.”
Through the Internet of Things (IoT) Cybersecurity and Forensics Lab, Wang contributed to an undergraduate research project developing learning materials for law enforcement conducting digital forensics on IoT devices.
He also stayed active across campus. Wang volunteers with the College of AI, Cyber and Computing USAA Student Success Center and is involved in the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), which he said spurred much of his academic and social growth at UT San Antonio.
He served as the social media lead for RowdyHacks, the university’s annual hackathon, and maintains a consistent routine at Campus Recreation.
“I’ve built a community (at Campus Rec), seeing familiar faces, meeting new people and forming connections that go beyond just working out,” Wang said. “It’s a space where I’ve been able to grow, stay grounded and connect with others in a really genuine way.”
Wang also pursued opportunities that strengthened his professional experience such as participating in the H-E-B Community Innovation Scholars program. The initiative connects students with local nonprofit organizations to apply data science and AI skills to real-world challenges.
Through this experience, Wang worked with Haven for Hope on data science solutions. He later interned at the university’s Security Operations Center (SOC) as the lead intern.
“Working in the SOC gave me the chance to work with real alerts, real tools and real investigations,” he said. “It taught me how to think like an analyst, not just how to use the tools. I had to look at alerts, understand the context, figure out what actually mattered, and communicate my findings clearly. Overall, it helped me grow a lot technically and professionally, and it gave me a much better understanding of what real-world cyber defense looks like.”
These experiences helped him build a professional network and sharpen his technical skills as he prepares to enter the workforce.
After graduation, Wang will join EvoTech LLC as a network operations center analyst. EvoTech is a San Antonio-based women-owned information technology (IT) and cybersecurity consulting company that provides services including cybersecurity, cloud solutions and application development. They also manage IT support for government and commercial clients.
He encourages incoming freshmen to take risks and venture into the unknown.
“Get involved early,” he said. “Join student organizations and attend those events that they hold. Network with like-minded individuals, including fellow students, industry professionals and faculty. There are so many opportunities that the university has for students and all it takes is a ‘Hello, I am…'”
Wang leaves the university with no regrets.
“Overall, my time here at UT San Antonio is what I wanted it to be and made it to be!”
