Zikria found IT4Causes through the Virginia Cyber Initiative and started with us on April 23. He’s been on the cybersecurity team and IT implementation ever since — his listed internship ran through August 7, and he’s still working with us. At VCU he’s finishing computer science with a concentration in cybersecurity, graduating December 2026. His favorite class so far is Intro to Cybersecurity, partly because the hands-on projects relate back to the work he’s already been doing here, and partly because of how they’re built: “The projects are really engaging and a little hard so you actually have to learn and teach yourself.”
Ask him what makes him a good teammate and he starts with people. He describes himself as outgoing, someone who doesn’t struggle to talk to strangers, open to learning, and a fast learner who likes talking through the steps. “I also feel like since I have a wide range of experience in different activities I’m able to relate to a lot of people.”
What he valued most about the work was the chance to figure things out himself — with guidance when he needed it — and to be “put in situations where it really mattered.” As he puts it: “Everything I learned from IT4Causes I truly had no knowledge beforehand.” After he graduates in December he’s after a full-time cybersecurity role, in GRC, a SOC, or IT and help desk. When he’s not working, he’s fishing or otherwise outdoors. You can follow along with him on LinkedIn.
Come meet our interns in person
Over eleven years, IT4Causes has placed more than 100 interns with nonprofits that needed the help — and every member of last year’s graduating cohort walked into a job.
You can meet this year’s group at Tech4All 11.0 on Thursday, September 24, 2026, 5:30–8:00 PM, at St. Joseph’s Villa, 8000 Brook Road, Richmond. The theme is Tech With Purpose: Building the Next Generation of Tech Leaders Through Internships. Expect live demos, the premiere of a game our interns built, food, drink, and free parking.
Tickets are $10, and every one of them funds this program.
