STEMfest 2025: How the Georgia Cyber Center helps to further the education of STEM and Cyber

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)- The 2025 Cyber Georgia STEMfest hosting several middle school students, Wednesday morning.

100 students from throughout the CSRA spending time here at the Georgia Cyber Center experiencing all things STEM and Cyber Security for the annual event.

“I just want to be a nuclear engineer like my dad,” 6th grader Branson Pisarskiy said.

For students like Branson Pisarskiy, STEMfest is a dream.

“My dad is a nuclear engineer, and I’ve been really interested in tech and engineer since then…” Pisarskiy said. “I mean, CTF– when I learned that it was ethical hacking– that kind of made me get some interest in this.”

Pisarskiy is just one who sees themselves having a future in STEM and Cyber. 

“I want to be, maybe something related to cyber security, maybe something like an engineer or something…” 6th grader Rhea Parayil said.

Students had the chance to experience engaging STEM and Cyber activities like “To The Sky” Design Challenge, Ethical Hacking Escape Room, and a vendor fair to learn more about careers in the industry.

“The first thing they say to me when I get feedback is ‘you can’t get this in the classroom…’” Georgia Cyber Center Director of Outreach and Engagement Todd Gay said.

“In class, we kind of have to sit down and it’s more of like a controlled environment. Here it’s like you get more, actual experience,” Parayil said.

The event included students from both Georgia and South Carolina and is presented by the Georgia Cyber Center and the Cyber Fusion Innovation Center. 

“We’re the only place in the country that has government, state and federal, academia, Augusta University School of Computer and Cyber Sciences and Augusta Technical College and private industry under one roof,” Gay said.

The Cyber center hosts the event twice a year– the next one being for high school students in the CSRA. For information on how to sign up, visit.