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Patrick Weadon
Patrick Weadon
00:56

Patrick Weadon

NSA Cryptological Museum

Annapolis, MD USA

"The more you know about the world, the better you’re going to be at your job."

Career Roadmap

Patrick's work combines: Education, Technology, and Learning / Being Challenged

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Day In The Life

Curator

I am a former NSA agent working to give people a wider understanding of cryptology.

My Day to Day

My main goal going into work every day is to help people understand the critical role the making and breaking of codes have played throughout history and to (hopefully) help them develop an appreciation for the importance of the agency's mission. I manage our collection of thousands of artifacts and ensure they are presented to the public thoughtfully and accurately. I also oversee our team of docents and volunteers who lead tours and interact with visitors.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

If you are not in that technological club, people are going to think that it is strange. There is always a new piece of technology and new problems to go along with it. I had to learn to keep up. In the cyber world, the moment you think you have everything solved, something comes along to challenge you. You have to accept that and keep going.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    American Government and Politics (United States)

    Catholic University of America

  • Graduate Degree

    History, General

    American University

Life & Career Milestones

My path in life took a while to figure out

  • 1.

    Currently serving as curator for the National Security Agency’s National Cryptologic Museum, and is only the third curator in the museum’s history.

  • 2.

    His goal as curator is to give museum visitors a wider understanding of cryptology, as well as an appreciation for the NSA’s mission.

  • 3.

    Prior to being named curator of the museum, he worked in the NSA for over 20 years, holding jobs as a special agent and an intelligence research analyst, among others.

  • 4.

    Although the NSA was formed in 1954, he likes to point out that cryptology has been around since the beginning of time, and has shaped a surprisingly large amount of our history.

  • 5.

    One of his favorite things about cryptology is that it requires a balance of technical and artistic skills—and he believes everyone should seek out that kind of balanced education.

  • 6.

    Says that although we’re all well aware of the risks that new technologies present, history shows that we’ll continue to push the science forward.

  • 7.

    He personally doesn’t have a cell phone, but he’s aware that eschewing new technology isn’t a feasible solution for everyone.

  • 8.

    Instead, he says we must channel any good defensive team by staying agile, adjusting to new threats, and never wearing down in the face of a challenge.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Peers:

    You don't have a cell phone? You must miss out on a lot of things.

  • How I responded:

    If you are not in that technological club, people are going to think that it is strange. There is always a new piece of technology and new problems to go along with it. I had to learn to keep up. In the cyber world, the moment you think you have everything solved, something comes along to challenge you. You have to accept that and keep going.