Ryan Smith is originally from Alexandria, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. While enrolled at Virginia Tech, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Upon graduation, he commissioned in the United States Army and served on active duty as a Field Artillery Officer in units ranging from Anchorage, Alaska to Fort Hood, Texas. He attended many schools while in service, ranging from small unit tactics courses, arctic mountaineering, airborne training, and others. After separating from the military, he worked as a construction engineer in Texas and Virginia until he decided to begin a Masters of Science in Computer Science with George Mason. When not attempting to solve coding problems, you can find him reading, rock climbing, mountain biking, or trail running.

Ryan’s Advice to Mason Students: “Identify and direct your focus to activities that yield the highest return for the lowest cost. Disregard or greatly reduce the rest.”