TSTC Cybersecurity graduate using past skills to keep people connected

Sonny Bever, of China Spring, has had quite a summer.

Bever graduated in May from Texas State Technical College’s Cybersecurity program with a certificate of completion. In early June, he represented the Waco campus and Texas at the 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, competing in the Internet of Things (IOT) Smart Home contest, in Atlanta, Georgia. He made it to Atlanta after winning the gold medal at the 2026 SkillsUSA Texas Postsecondary Leadership and Skills Conference held in Corpus Christi.

Now, Bever is settling into building on his interests in technology and construction to find ways to make the lives of people better. TSTC has laid the foundation for the moves he has made in his career, starting when he was a teenager. 

Where did you grow up? 

I grew up in Groesbeck. My family owned a construction company, so I grew up as a home builder working on everything from metal buildings to concrete slabs. I remember being on the job sites since I was 6 or 7 years old. I was home-schooled, so I had more hands-on experience than some kids might experience.

How did you find your way to TSTC?

I came to TSTC during my senior year of home-schooling in the mid-1990s. After graduating from home-school, I took a break from TSTC but came back and spent a year in robotics and controls systems, but I loved technology. I was the kid grabbing the old computer and was trying to rebuild or hack it. I loved the controlled systems. At that time, I was young and started failing out of the program and it was recommended I do something different. So, I went to Automotive Technology and earned an associate degree.

How did you use your associate degree?

I worked at Land Rover in Austin for a season, but of course I am a country boy, so jumping into Austin for the first time made me realize it was not for me. I moved back home and went to work as a diesel mechanic at Nucor Steel. I was working for a subcontractor. That was a small season until I went back into construction with my dad.

How did Hurricane Katrina factor into your career in 2005?

I got married, had two children, and needed to make bigger moves and ended up moving back to Waco. I went back to the automotive industry and I owned multiple automotive shops and restoration shops. I had friends in the catastrophic insurance world and they told me I had the experience and told me I need to get on board. By 2008, I was State Farm-certified and spent the next 15 years working for the biggest industry agencies in America. The last storm I did was in 2018. I spent lots of time doing insurance claims.

The construction background growing up gave me an ability to walk in and analyze what a homeowner needed and what needed to be put back in the previous condition before the storms hit. That gave me a huge advantage over the ones that had no construction experience.

I thrived in insurance adjusting, but the industry back in the day was an older system. I was a tech guy and was able to work 200 miles an hour. Technology changes gave me an edge.

What led you to want to study cybersecurity?

In 2005, I built my first website. But later I found I wanted to jump back into cybersecurity to tighten up my skills. I graduated earlier this year from TSTC’s Cybersecurity program.

I remember the first time I went to TSTC. I had math and psychology classes at the Dr. Roy G. Dugger Center. I came into the program when it was recovering from COVID-19.

Cybersecurity is a field that is always changing. When I was in the corporate world, I was familiar with all the corporate infrastructure and how that works. When I went into my small businesses, I could adapt that level of professionalism in my work flows. Coming into the cyber end of it, I was able to focus on more technical, in-depth stuff.

Some people may be coming into information technology out of the gate. Some could be overwhelmed at first. I was able to focus in-depth. With technology I don’t think anyone will ever say I know it all.

What drew you to artificial intelligence (AI) and how are you using that knowledge now that you have your Cybersecurity certificate?

I am glad I had the prior experience of AI. The last two years, I have used AI very heavily not just for random writing or copy, but also on the development side.

I have been pushing more technology services to small businesses, helping them adapt AI into their workflows. I am able to sit down with them and show them from a security standpoint, we can implement this workflow but this is where it opens up vulnerabilities. Having cybersecurity in my tool box helps me provide cutting edge services to customers.

What was the SkillsUSA experience like for you?

It was great. It is not information technology; it is programming a home to be smart with automations. It was a natural fit for me. I had to do a lot of learning and research outside our program. It was not cybersecurity, but rather automation installing and multimedia and video. There was lots of studying.

I took from SkillsUSA to stay humble and there is always more room to grow. Don’t be content with where you are at. Even if I made the podium, I would have said the same things.

What is your present life, and future, looking like now?

I am currently remodeling a bathroom for a couple. I am looking to add smart home techniques for work, possibly smart home services for connecting. I noticed there is a gap; smart homes have gone to the consumer level, but for someone who has not grown up with computers, it is hard for them. I want to make homes safe for elderly people, making it secure with cybersecurity.

What kind of career advice do you have?

It is easy to be content and get stuck somewhere. In today’s world, you can get somewhere and get 10 years behind the technology pretty quickly if you are in a place that is not pro-technology. Being in those environments, it is hard to grow personally.

TSTC’s Cybersecurity program is offered statewide in online and hybrid formats.