March 5, 2025
Seth Brott’s Journey: From Ferris State to Newaygo County Mental Health IT
Seth Brott is a current Ferris State student expected to graduate in May of 2026 with a bachelor's degree in Information Security and Intelligence. Brott wanted to utilize his skills in IT, so using prior connections, he discovered an internship through Newaygo County Mental Health for the fall of 2024.
Brott has been working in IT since his junior year in high school, in positions at courthouses for police departments and school systems. In those positions, he worked primarily with hardware repair and at the help desk, assisting people with their computer issues. So, his early experiences inspired him to continue in a similar field: information security. He chose to become an IT intern because it enabled him to work with security. Brott explained that the number of information security internships is slim, but many companies do not separate the positions of IT and information security.
This position broadened Brott’s horizons regarding what goes into working with IT in the medical field. He explained that there is more confidentiality than in his previous IT positions. He gave an example that when fixing a computer, he needs to be aware of confidential data that is on the company laptops. Another example he had was when he works in the infrastructure; he has to wear earplugs to protect the patient's confidentiality.
Through his internship, he has been able to do “a little bit of everything” within the department, while in his past experiences, the focus was on one or two aspects of the IT job. In this position, he worked with hardware repair, help desk work, maintenance, finance, security, and infrastructure. The versatility with the position is due to Newaygo County Mental Health being a smaller business, so Brott helps where he is needed.
Brott’s favorite project in this position was helping with the infrastructure in installing new camera systems. He was put in charge of finding a new company to work with and then installing their cameras. In a couple of months, he had 40 new cameras installed in 3 different buildings.
Leading up to this internship, Brott has had experiences that have prepared him to take on this opportunity. Both of his past experiences with IT prepared him for some of the tasks that he had to take on. He is also a part of two different RSOs on campus that have prepared him for his internship. First, he is the president of the Information Security and Intelligence Alliance (ISIA). He has been able to work with others who have an interest in the same industry and build a support system, especially when looking for internships. Next, he is the recruitment chair of the Speech and Debate team. This has helped him in numerous aspects of his field, such as interviews and important presentations.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for Information Security from 2023-33 is expected to grow 33%, which is higher than average.