AQ'S Corner

“At the heart of the mission, connecting cybersecurity to community with a smile and a story.”

On Sunday, July 20, 2025, something magical happened at Barnes & Noble. But it wasn’t just about selling books. It was about sparking a movement, one child, one story, one handshake at a time.

As I stood in front of a growing crowd of curious readers, wide-eyed children, and supportive parents, I wasn’t just a cybersecurity analyst or a children’s book author. I was a mother. A mission-led woman. A voice for digital safety in communities that too often get left out of the conversation.

“Delivering the CyberHero Pledge in a space where imagination meets education.”

Together with my 9-year-old daughter, co-author, co-creator, and the true star of the show, we shared Emani and the CyberHero Response Team, a book born from real love and real purpose. Our read-aloud wasn’t just entertainment; it was education disguised as adventure. It was incident response broken down for grade schoolers. It was empowerment in every page flip.

“Meet the youngest CyberHero co-author in the room, proof that age doesn’t define leadership.”

What we offered that day was more than a story. We offered a mirror for kids to see themselves as heroes of their digital worlds. And we offered a window for parents, educators, and community leaders to imagine what it would look like to teach cybersecurity in a way that actually sticks.

The Impact? Immediate.

• Kids lit up at the idea of being “CyberHeroes.”
• Parents pulled me aside to ask how to keep the conversation going at home.
• And just like that, our mission caught fire. The Salvation Army invited us in.
• Next stop: empowering kids on the frontlines with tools, stories, and cybersecurity skills that could change the trajectory of their digital lives.
  

Why This Matters

In a time where our kids are online before they can even spell “password,” teaching them how to navigate the internet safely is no longer optional; it’s essential. But here’s the truth: the current approach to cybersecurity education isn’t reaching the communities that need it most. It’s outdated. It’s inaccessible. And frankly, it’s boring.

That’s where AQ’s Corner steps in.

Our approach is different. We blend imagination with instruction. We use characters, storytelling, and interactive activities to teach real concepts like phishing, password safety, and incident response. We meet kids where they are on the page, in the classroom, and in the community.

So What’s Next?

We’re taking this energy and scaling it. We’re launching pilot classroom kits, offering community read-alouds, and building partnerships with schools, nonprofits, and youth programs that are ready to make cybersecurity part of their literacy and life skills curriculum.

We’ve paused our mobile app development temporarily to focus on what matters most right now: real human connection. Real outreach. Real impact.

If you’re a school administrator, a librarian, a youth advocate, or someone who simply cares about the future of our children in this digital age, I invite you to connect.

Because this isn’t just a book event recap. It’s a rallying cry.

📍Let’s bring the CyberHero Response Team to your community.
📧 Email me at aqscorner@gmail.com
🌐 Visit http://www.aqscorner.com
🤝 Let’s build digital defenders, one kid at a time.