Ask, Listen, Adapt: Pathways to Cyber Confidence
Host Nathan James sits down with UMGC cybersecurity graduate, Tamila Urumbaeva, to trace a move from Uzbekistan to the United States, a seven year stretch apart from her father, and the decision to rebuild in a new language and culture. She explains the hardest early hurdle, communicating with care across cultures, and how asking good questions, listening closely, and adjusting tone in real time became a daily practice.
Tamila shares how she chose cybersecurity, earned an Excellence in Cybersecurity award at community college, transferred to UMGC for the online fit, stacked credentials like CompTIA Security Plus, and balanced four jobs with school through disciplined routines and honest burnout recovery. She also reflects on launching leadership with Women in Cybersecurity, the confidence of conference community, and a vision to secure systems and inspire more women to enter the field.
Episode Information
Nathan James
What would you think was the hardest adjustment for you to make personally to being in a new culture?
Tamila Urumbaeva
I would say the hardest part was being able to communicate properly with people. When you are in a new environment, in a new culture, you don't know the proper communication, right? What was a joke? Maybe in my country is not a joke here.
Narrator
Welcome to the podcast Unstoppable Stories with your host, Nathan James.
Nathan James
All right. Hey, everybody. I'm here with Tamila Urumbaeva. This is exciting to be able to take some time with. Similar to go over her journey with us. He actually comes from Uzbekistan. Actually came to the US about four years ago, hit the ground running. Just earned your degree in cybersecurity technology this past summer 2025. It's just great to have you on and look forward to digging into your story even more.
Nathan James
Appreciate you being on with us.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Awesome. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here today.
Nathan James
Absolutely. Yeah. So why don't we start with I mean, obviously you just got your degree recently and in cybersecurity technology and incredible accomplishment. Bravo, bravo. That's the Segway to help you with career goals that you had in mind. What are you doing now? What are you doing now for your career? Tell us a little bit about that.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah. So as of now I work as a helpdesk technician technology group, where I'm learning every day, every minute ever, every hour. I would say. So super excited about that. Besides that, I do like to learn more and earn certifications. Just last week on Friday, I got my Security Plus from CompTIA. So super excited about that moving forward.
Nathan James
Yeah yeah. No that's fantastic. So you're a forever learner. Always learning, always adding on to the toolkit. Yeah love to see it. Love to see it. Well take us back. So your early life in Austin right. Even before Covid okay. What did your world look like there let's say at age 16 right.
Tamila Urumbaeva
That's a really good question. So I would say when I was 16, my world was around, you know, studying, studying every day, like going to school after school, going to extra classes, taking English classes, taking math classes, going to the gym, trying to be active as much as possible, and make sure I have goals for the future so I can be, you know, all set and be successful in life.
Nathan James
That's really good. And so I think right around that time the pandemic hit, that shook the world up really, really bad. I think your father had just moved to the US to get things ready for the rest of the family to come over. Could you share a little bit about a bit about why you know, that move to the US, you know, in the first place?
Nathan James
Because that's a, that's, that's that's quite a move.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So right I know so I always had that question for my dad. I was I keep asking it till now like dad why you chose United States. And he's like daughter, I always had this dream for my kids to be here. Like he'll have United States. He allowed America. So he made that decision. He moved here, build a foundation for us so and brought us here.
Tamila Urumbaeva
And which is I'm really, really grateful for that, for this opportunity. I wouldn't be here if if my dad wouldn't do that a couple years ago. So.
Nathan James
Wow. That's special. That's special. And I can only imagine there's a bit of time where he was here. You were over there, and you were separated from your dad. For how long was that time? Would you say so?
Tamila Urumbaeva
It was around. I would say seven years. Six years.
Nathan James
Oh, wow. That's longer than I realized. So, I mean, obviously, like you said, you were studying, but what was that experience like, knowing your dad was in another country, knowing you were eventually going to see him again? But what was it like waiting to see him all that time?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So it was hard, right? Because at that time I was studying at school. And, you know, when you have different stuff going on as a kid and your your parents are coming to see how you're doing or going out with you, teaching you stuff, you know, riding a bicycle, I would always look at other kids and be like, oh, but my dad is not here.
Tamila Urumbaeva
He is not with me. But at the same time, I was like, but he's trying to be like a life for for us. You know, I have a brother as well. So that's why I'm saying that's what I always had in mind, and that's what my mom was always reminding me. And I was when I was speaking with my dad, he was like, kids, I'm doing this for you guys.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So you have better future. Better life,
Nathan James
So the immigration, the documentation process eventually was set up, but from my understanding, even then, it wasn't a smooth transition, right? Were there are some challenges there?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah. So right before the pandemic started. Right. We were ready to leave my country. Everything was ready. Everything was packed. Literally everything was packed. We closed every, you know, every possible corner in the house. You know, when you close the house to just leave to another to another place, you just cover everything. So everything is safe and nice, right?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Everything was packed and covered and. And we already had a ticket on our hands. So I do remember exactly was April and we were about to live in two weeks and everything got closed. All the borders you can all live the you know, you can all live the country and you cannot even live your own house because of the pandemic.
Tamila Urumbaeva
And we were like, oh my God. Yeah, it was really hard at that time. It was really, really hard to be like, what? What is next for us? What is what is next?
Nathan James
Yeah, yeah. Like how long do we have to wait?
Tamila Urumbaeva
And there was no answer that time if you remember. Right. Like.
Nathan James
Yeah, yeah. Because no one had ever seen anything like it.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right, right right, right. Or they never said like, oh guys, you will just say it like two weeks at your houses and then everything will be fine. We didn't know. And as the time was going by, it was getting worse and worse. Because I do remember at that time it just started. So it wasn't the beginning of the, you know, Covid 19.
Nathan James
Right.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah.
Nathan James
Okay. All right. Well, so you were finally able to make the move about four years ago. It's at 20. Yeah. So 2021 we say.
Tamila Urumbaeva
2021.
Nathan James
20 2021 okay. All right. Yeah yeah. So you made that move. What do you remember as you finally make it? Right now it's a new challenge of adjusting to a new culture. Right? Okay. What do you remember about what that adjustment was like? Because I know a little bit of background. You had taken even some English classes right in the respective stand.
Nathan James
Right? Right. And I'm hopeful that helped a little bit as you transitioned here. But yeah, talk about what that was like.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So I was always interested in English. And actually when I was a kid, I always wanted to be an English teacher. I don't know why. Yeah. I'm like, I'm going to teach kids English because everyone in our country, they like to learn, especially languages. I'm like, I'm going to need to English teacher. So I was taking English classes.
Tamila Urumbaeva
However, when I moved here, you know, taking English classes and being in a native environment is completely, completely different. You know, the way how people speak, you know, they the language, the pronunciation is different, even though it's like one English. So I do remember I was having times where I would ask questions from people like, can you repeat that one more time for me?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Slowly, just to be sure that I can understand them? Yeah.
Nathan James
Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. I mean, what do you think was if you had to pick, what would you think was the hardest adjustment for you to make personally to being in a new culture? Right. Particularly in this new culture, American, US culture.
Tamila Urumbaeva
I would say the hardest part was being able to communicate properly with people a meaning. When you are in a new environment, in your culture, you don't know the proper communication, right? Because what was a joke, maybe in my country is not a joke here and it can be hard to communicate. You know, that's where I was always like, if I say this right now, will I hurt other person?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Will they say that I'm like, weird or like crazy? So that was, I think, the hardest part to adjust. Just being able to communicate, you know, freely and not think like, oh, will I heard that person like how they will perceive what I'm trying to say. You know, I'm just being friendly at the same time. I'll be just like, you know, serious and just have formal conversations.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah. I even do remember, like an example, I had a friend on a trip to joke with her, and it actually was a joke, but she proceeded really personally. And then she was like. And she just told me, like she told me there's like a couple couple months ago, she like, do you remember you told me this? And I'm like, yes, I do remember.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah. She's like, at that time it really was weird to hear this from you. I'm like, I'm really sorry. I just moved to this country. I didn't know that it could hurt you. So this is where it was, you know, kind of not really the hardest part, but still trying to adjust to new culture and to new communication between, you know, people.
Nathan James
Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. That is tricky. It probably feels like you're walking on ice a little bit, right? You can't just say what you think, even if you. It's not so much about whether you might know the language really well, but also you're not quite sure how what you mean. You know what what you're saying. They may take it a different way than how you meant it.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right, right.
Nathan James
Yeah. So yeah, that's tricky.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Because like when you're like in your like environment where you grow up, you can just speak because people know because this is like a communication, right? She's okay. It's just a slang will say this sort of right. But when I moved here I'm like, Will that hurt her son? Or will they think that I'm crazy? Or will they think that I'm like, rude to them?
Tamila Urumbaeva
And I didn't want to be sound rude or crazy or trying to trick people, you know?
Nathan James
So now I know a big part of your journey has been prioritizing your education. Like you said, you love to learn, right? Whether it's higher education or picking up these sort of is. So I know you were already taking college classes in Austin right at the time that you left, right. And then eventually you decided to start taking classes at at a college here, I think in Maryland, Montgomery, Montgomery College.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Montgomery College.
Nathan James
Yes. Montgomery College. Right. And so what was that like for you in deciding whether to continue classes in Uzbekistan versus actually start a new chapter of college here in America? Did you have to? Was that a tough decision for you?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So basically, when we didn't know what's going to come to us next in terms of when I was back in my country and I just finished, you know, high school, and I was trying to figure out what is next for me. And at the same time, I was trying to figure out what's next for, you know, our transition to a different country because everything got stopped because of the Covid.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right? And then I'm like, I'm just going to do it. I'm just going to start a college and we'll see, you know, because I don't want to waste my time. At the same time, I was still taking English classes. I really like math for this at that time. So I was taking math classes and I was like, I'm just going to start college and see how it's going to go.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I finished one year back in my country of the college, and then we got in good news. But hey guys, you can just come now. So I finished one year of the college, got my transcript of what classes I was taking and came here. And when I came here, I really didn't know what I, what I want to do in terms of the choice because I'm that that type of person.
Tamila Urumbaeva
I like to learn different, you know, fields. I like to learn everything. However, when I try to do my research, what is really like great career in the United States, it was like more of IT related, IT related cybersecurity. And I decided to go cybersecurity to decipher security major. And right near by my house we have like Montgomery College.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I went on their website. I saw a cyber security degree. So I signed up for that for the fall semester, because when I moved here, it was spring and I signed up for a fall semester. And during the summer, I didn't know anything about cybersecurity, by the way. I didn't know anything. I'm just I'm just going to do it.
Tamila Urumbaeva
And during the summer, I searched Google's. Google's. I think it was at the time like free Google cybersecurity entry level course wants to see what a cybersecurity is about and just learn basic terms. So I took that course. I think it was like four weeks, three course, super easy to understand. Follow took the course. I really like it and never regret that I chose cybersecurity.
Nathan James
Yeah. So you never looked back after that. So it all started with okay, that makes sense. So that's how your interest was sparked there. And okay. And so like you said Montgomery College. That's where eventually you went on to win the an award there Excellence in Cybersecurity award at Montgomery. Right. What was that like to earn the award?
Nathan James
Were you surprised by that? And did that help your confidence?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So after two years of Montgomery College, I do remember that day I'm receiving an email. It was completely surprise from the cybersecurity Birdman that like, hey, you're going to be awarded the excellence of cybersecurity. So you need to come to the ceremony of that day with confirmed. And I'm like, oh my God, that time I couldn't believe that.
Tamila Urumbaeva
But then once I got to the ceremony, they gave me this a really nice certificate, you know, the excellence of cybersecurity work and that at that time, I was really proud.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Of myself because of the.
Tamila Urumbaeva
All this is nice. And, you know, sometimes tears that I put it and hard work that I put it to the coursework and all the labs related to the cybersecurity was noticed.
Nathan James
That's great. And once again, everybody you're listening to, Tamila Urumbaeva’s story here on Unstoppable Stories. Remember, if you want to hear more stories like this, remember to like and subscribe and we'll be here, okay. Tamila. We're going to keep it going. So after your time at Montgomery College, did you end up getting your associate's degree there, by the way?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Correct. Yeah.
Nathan James
All right. That's awesome on that. Yeah, that's a big deal. So then you transfer over to UMGC for you. What made you see what what what made it stand out for you? Where you're like, okay, this is the best place for me to continue my journey in cybersecurity.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So after I graduated from college, I was like, what I want to do next. And as you guys know, I love to learn. And I'm like, I'm going to do my bachelor's degree. And then I started searching for good schools around Maryland and was on top of those universities with a good cybersecurity degrees, as they have like different cybersecurity programs, right.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I started searching, looking through the website, and it appeared to be online, fully online. So like that is really cool. I can work, you know, I can still have time for myself and still have time for my family, for my hobbies, and at the same time, at the same time, study. So that was like really was sparked my interest in JC.
Nathan James
Well, that makes sense because I was going to say, I know you were working a good bit. In fact, at one point you let me know if I'm wrong about this. You were working for jobs, right? Right. Oh my goodness, as you're going to school. So how did you balance for jobs and studying cybersecurity at the same time?
Tamila Urumbaeva
I would say discipline wasn't the first time, you know, in good time management skills, trying to manage everything properly and be disciplined and not to procrastinate having a good, you know, schedule, I would say help.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Me a lot.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Because I had like one full time and three part time jobs. So I had like, you know, one job every day. But those part times, you know, 2 or 3 hours after full time job on Monday, another one on Tuesday, and etc. and when I had time in between like 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, and of course late nights, I would study my bachelor's degree.
Nathan James
Yeah, that's a demanding schedule. But obviously I know how motivated you were, you know, to for the subject, how voracious a learner that you are. But I got to ask. Did you ever wrestle with burnout? And if not, how did you not have burnout? What tips would you have for folks that wrestle with burnout when they're doing so much at the same time?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. Okay, I definitely have burnout. I definitely had burnout. And at the beginning when I had that burnout, I would ignore the burnout thinking that I can just do it. You know, I can just do it. And I can't ignore my feelings and keep going. In terms of the burnout, because it can be burnout mentally. It can be burnout, you know, and physically.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So at the beginning, I thought, it's okay. You know, I didn't know at the time that it was burnout until it really hit me. And I'm like, okay, I need to kind of like stop a little bit, take take time for myself, breathe, and really, like, divide the time for myself and, you know, being like more positive and being more spiritually available.
Tamila Urumbaeva
For myself and mentally.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Because as you try to hustle, you know, try everything, you just keep.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Going and going and going. Just forget about yourself.
Tamila Urumbaeva
I would say, keep yourself in mind, you know, your mental health, your spiritual health, your physical health. Don't try to be, you know, on top of everything. Just try to divide time for yourself. Take those moments, do your favorite stuff, you know, for example, get yourself an ice cream if you feel down right, or barf, chocolate or whatever keeps you, you know, alive.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Or maybe music. You know, when I feel sometimes down, I like to with my hats on and listen to the music. Which brings me back to, you know, to to my normal mode, I would say. So definitely have those, like, little treats for yourself. Just just try to treat yourself. I would say even if it's like a small thing, just go and get coffee for yourself.
Tamila Urumbaeva
You know.
Tamila Urumbaeva
From Star Rocks.
Nathan James
Yeah. No that's great. That's great. Now listen you, during your journey at UMC, you eventually became the president of the chapter of Women in Cybersecurity. Is that correct? Correct. Okay. That's great. How did that come about and what was that like?
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I always wanted to find someone like me in the field in cyber security in terms of like, females. Right. And so I searched for for this chapter in Google. So I found about that and I was really interested like, and I saw on their website that, you know, each university can set their own chapters. And I was like, that would be a really great UMC would have the chapter.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I reached out to the to the department who usually managers, you know, chapters and student organizations.
Nathan James
Wow. That's good initiative, right?
Tamila Urumbaeva
And they responded to me that under the process of establishing and at that time they already had a president. So I was like, okay, guys, if you already like in the process, can I join you guys? And we can join forces and do what we can do to to make it work. And they're like, yeah, for sure. So I joined the chapter and right after like 2 or 3 months, the actual president got resided because she graduated.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So and then they came to me was like, do you want to be a president and continue working on the chapter? I'm like.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Why not? So that's how it came about.
Nathan James
That's a big deal, right? To be a president of this chapter for Women in Cybersecurity, UMGC and the way I see it, that that that adds on right to other milestones that you had earlier, which is great. I mean, the award that you earned at Montgomery College and now this being coming, the president. And then honestly, after that, graduating cybersecurity technology with your bachelor's and that recently just happening to me like this is a foundation, a really solid foundation for a field that you've become very passionate about being a cybersecurity.
Nathan James
Right. And that's the image I have in my mind. Like you're a spaceship that's just taking off, right? Because your career literally is pretty much at the beginning. Tell me about what your vision is for the future you love to learn, but what impact? Tell me what impact you want to make in the cybersecurity space. As best as you can tell for right now.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So I do myself, I would say really successful in the future interest of this cybersecurity. And I want to make a really great impact and internal security system, secret organizations secure you know, country. If I'll get there right. Hopefully I will and definitely inspire other women to get into the field, or even even if they are in the field, try to inspire them to speak up, move forward and not be afraid to, you know, make impact as well in cybersecurity.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So don't join forces, I would say.
Nathan James
Yeah, well, that sounds courageous to me. And courage is contagious. Courage is contagious. So. Okay. Now. All right. Looking back. All right. Looking back on your entire journey from Uzbekistan to America, your cybersecurity journey, your your your your learning journey, what would you say would be a moment that you're the most proud of, where you overcame the odds?
Nathan James
You persevered, and you are where you are right now.
Tamila Urumbaeva
The most proud moment I was saying, it's not the moment, it's moments because it was happening every day where I never gave up, even though it was hard to adapt to a new culture, to any environment, to, you know, to in your education system because it was different than your house system and not giving up.
Tamila Urumbaeva
I would say I'm really proud that.
Tamila Urumbaeva
I didn't give up and or I didn't go back. You know, I don't drop the cybersecurity degree and didn't start something else because at the beginning, even though I was really passionate, it was still a new feel to me, new field, in a new environment, in a different language, even though I was thinking classes. Right. So that was hard to.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So I'm really proud that I didn't stop because there was more months where I was like, maybe it's not really for me, and I should kind of like look into another options. But again, I was taking some small breaks, treating myself with the good coffee because I'm a coffee lover and going forward I'm like, no, I'm gonna do it.
Tamila Urumbaeva
If I started, I'm going to move forward and do everything that I can.
Nathan James
Okay. So to me, you had the opportunity to attend the Women in Cybersecurity conference in Dallas on a full scholarship, which is wonderful. What was that like and what was the significance of being able to attend there?
Tamila Urumbaeva
Right. So I think at that time, it was really one of the biggest conferences that I attended since I moved to the United States. And it was related to women, you know, in cybersecurity. It was really, really, really big conference. And it was really significant because at that time, I realized that I'm not alone in terms of being a female in the field.
Tamila Urumbaeva
We're all we're all here. You know, as females, we gathered their shared ideas because it's so easy to, you know, I work remote and, you know, school is remote and you barely can see people, you know, and until it's like workshop or conference and they're you're exposed to so many, I would say, brains and ideas from different personalities in different cultures because it wasn't only, you know, people from the United States, people from different countries outside of the United States also flew to United States for the conference.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So it was a really great opportunity to be there in that environment for 3 or 4 days, share ideas and being, I would say, grateful that I'm not alone. And we're all together chasing, you know, dream in cybersecurity related to cybersecurity, I would say.
Nathan James
Yeah, chasing you. I really like that phrasing too. Well, one that you're not alone in the field, but then to you have all the more boldness to chase your dreams, right? I'm just curious, just thinking about this through your parents lens. Right? I mean, your parents watched you overcome all of these odds, start this career, chase your dreams here.
Nathan James
You know, in the US, since cybersecurity, what has that been like for them to see you excel, to accomplish everything you have so far?
Tamila Urumbaeva
It's a really great question that I think I'll tear, because that's what my dad always does when I accomplish something, because whatever I accomplished something. My parents, they were so happy, especially my dad. He knows that he didn't. He did the right choice. But, you know, sacrificing himself time and trying to build a foundation for us to be here and now we're like achieving all those great things.
Tamila Urumbaeva
So he is really proud about that, that his work is showing up right through us.
Nathan James
That is so special.
Tamila Urumbaeva
Yeah.
Nathan James
Wonderful. Well, everybody, this has been a really beautiful conversation with Tamila. Thank you for taking time to to connect with us and to share your story with all of our listeners. It means the world to us that you would take that time. So appreciate you so much.
Tamila Urumbaeva
No problem. Thank you. Thank you so much for having me here.
Nathan James
For our listeners and our viewers. Thank you for watching. Thank you for listening. Please remember to like and subscribe again. If you want to see more Unstoppable stories, we'll be here. Also, remember to catch up on previous seasons or episodes that we have. And until next time, then we'll see you. Stay safe. Take care of yourselves. We'll be back.