In 2013, Zinet Kemal arrived in Saint Paul from Ethiopia with her husband, toddler son, and another child on the way. Like many newcomers, she was starting over, leaving behind an established legal career to build a new future for her family.

Starting Over

A trained legal professional in Ethiopia, Zinet faced the daunting task of starting over in a new country. Encouraged by a friend, she completed placement tests and enrolled at Saint Paul College, determined to build a new career through an associate degree in computer programming, balancing night and online classes while raising a young family and working as a student employee.

Balancing family, work, and school was no small feat. The community at Saint Paul College in the SPC library, where Zinet worked as a student employee, became her anchor, helping her lay the foundation for a new career.

Discovering Cybersecurity

After Saint Paul College, Zinet earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Metro State University. While there, she participated in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC), which sparked a passion for cybersecurity that would shape her career. She completed her education with a master’s degree in cybersecurity from Georgia Tech.

That passion led to an internship at Hennepin County, which soon turned into a full-time auditor role. Subsequent positions with Minnesota State, Best Buy, and ultimately Mayo Clinic, where she now serves as a senior cloud security engineer, each expanded her experience in cloud and AI security.

Using Her Voice

Inspired by her daughter’s experiences in school and by a desire for young girls to see themselves represented in books, Zinet wrote Proud in Her Hijab, a children’s book celebrating confidence, identity, and belonging.

When the pandemic struck, and her own children became targets of online threats, Zinet shifted her focus to digital safety. She has since authored four books focused on online safety, cybersecurity careers, and digital citizenship, helping parents, educators, and children navigate today’s online world.

She later shared that mission on the TEDxMinneapolis stage with her talk, “Hack-Proofing Childhood: Ensuring Our Children’s Online Safety,” encouraging parents, educators, and communities to better protect children online.

A Story of Reinvention

Today, Zinet is a multi-award-winning cybersecurity leader, author, advocate, and speaker. Yet her journey is about more than accolades; it’s a testament to resilience, lifelong learning, and the courage to seize new opportunities.

What began as a decision to enroll at Saint Paul College became a journey that transformed not only Zinet’s own future, but the lives of countless children, families, and aspiring cybersecurity professionals she now serves