$2,500 annually for Mineola High School students who demonstrate the hacker spirit
"Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible."
— Richard Feynman
When Dan Guido (Class of 2003) was a student at Mineola High School, his insatiable curiosity about technology went far beyond the classroom. He taught himself programming languages, ran a web hosting service, discovered security vulnerabilities in school systems, and when banned from using school computers, launched his own online newspaper and taught an unauthorized computer science class.
Today, as founder of Trail of Bits, a leading cybersecurity company, Dan established this scholarship to recognize students who demonstrate that same spirit of technological exploration and creative problem-solving.
Each year, applications are reviewed by a selection committee that brings together different perspectives on innovation and technical excellence. The committee includes Victoria Berkowitz, who teaches cybersecurity at Mineola and earned her master's from NYU Tandon's program where Dan served as Hacker in Residence; Kuri DiFede, who built Mineola's computer science program from the ground up; and Dan Guido himself. Together, they identify students whose unconventional approaches and self-directed learning embody the true hacker spirit.
We're looking for students who see technology differently. Not the ones who ace every test, but those who stay up late figuring out how things really work.
This scholarship recognizes that tomorrow's security leaders often look like today's troublemakers. We celebrate the students who explore pathways others didn't know existed.
$2,500
Plus a copy of "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and a personalized award letter
Celebrating unconventional innovators since 2025
Open to graduating seniors at Mineola High School • No GPA requirements
We keep it simple. Send us two things by March 31st:
What technical challenge captured your curiosity? What did you teach yourself? Keep it brief and informal.
Links to projects, GitHub, or descriptions of what you've built. Show us what you've explored on your own.
Email both to: hackerspirit@trailofbits.com
Winners announced at the Mineola Senior Awards Breakfast in June
The security industry needs creative, boundary-pushing thinkers. By investing in students who demonstrate the hacker ethos of curiosity, resourcefulness, persistence, and creativity, we're not just helping individual careers. We're strengthening the entire field.
"It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."
— Grace Hopper
"To follow the path that others have laid before you is a reasonable course of action; therefore all progress is made by unreasonable men."
— Bruce Sterling
"The person who walks alone is likely to find themself in places no one has ever seen before."
— Albert Einstein
Are you a security professional interested in establishing a similar scholarship at your alma mater? With enough momentum, we could create a network of such scholarships nationwide.