Becoming a Problem Solver

Myria Stavrou (MSIT ‘26) grew up on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, where, as one of five girls in her family, she quickly learned the importance of understanding different perspectives.  

“Being in a family of five sisters shaped how I approach things,” Myria said. “I learned early on how to adjust to different people, listen, and sometimes take initiative or organize things when needed.”  

She demonstrated that versatility while working as a data and business analyst at a Cyprus-based IT consulting company throughout her undergraduate studies and after graduation. Myria built dashboards, worked with data pipelines, and helped teams track project progress.  

What wasn't listed in her job description were the two things she enjoyed most: making data more understandable, and learning from other people. 

"I enjoyed taking something that wasn’t very clear at first and turning it into something structured and useful," she said. "I’m more motivated by challenging problems, especially when they require me to learn something new." 

Myria's two passions came together in Northwestern Engineering's Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT) program.  

She was first drawn to the program because it wasn't purely technical. She enjoys working at the intersection of technology and business, so the program's emphasis on management training was particularly appealing. 

Once she learned more about the program, she realized how valuable her classmates would be to her educational experience—which only excited her even more. 

“What stood out to me was the mix of people with different backgrounds, experiences, and areas of focus,” she said. “Even though I was one of the younger students in the program, I didn’t feel behind. If anything, it felt like a very balanced environment where everyone had something different to share.” 

Myria shared about her own journey, from her upbringing in Cyprus to studying data science through a joint program between Eindhoven University of Technology and Tilburg University in the Netherlands.  

During her final semester, she participated in an exchange trip to Lake Forest College in Illinois, where she gained a new perspective on working across cultures and disciplines.  

Those varied perspectives continued to make an impact through the program's cybersecurity minor. Students earn the minor by completing five courses (one ten-week course and four five-week courses) for a total of three units. The classes offer a holistic view of cybersecurity topics and are geared toward students interested in leadership roles. 

"Security is relevant in almost every role, even if it’s not your main focus," Myria said. "I wanted to understand how systems are protected and how data should be handled properly. It felt like an area where there is always more to learn, and that makes it interesting." 

Myria maintained that desire to learn throughout her time in MSIT.  

She learned how data, systems, users, and risks all connect. She learned how to approach problems with a more structured mindset.  

Most significantly, she learned how to think more broadly about challenges and not focus only on one part of a problem. 

“There are always multiple ways to approach a problem. Each option comes with tradeoffs, and what makes sense depends on the specific situation, the timing, the people involved, and the goals,” she said. “Learning how to understand and evaluate those tradeoffs is probably one of the most important skills I’ve developed.”