I think I might be the exception to "no stupid" questions, but I'm curious to ask anyone with the background about the potential of taking a role working at DHS/CISA. Not even sure what that role would be by I'm open to suggestions on that front

Context: Currently, I'm in my early twenties and about to graduate from a university on the west coast with a non-STEM degree but planning on doing software engineering. Because my dad was one of those software engineers who just worked after college, I began programming fairly early with hatchet job modifications to games my friends and I played. Fast forward I've been somewhat of a generalist (know a little about a lot) with anything cybersecurity and mostly just existed in the forum/discord space. I don't have certifications or anything to prove I have some level of technical aptitude save a few undisclosed reports on the infamous "bug bounty" programs: 6 undisclosed reports, 97th percentile in reported severity. No CVEs but I have a couple of original exploits I could dig up for fairly niche products that I don't even know would be a good thing or bad thing to show when applying

Lastly, I was sort of sold on the idea of DHS/CISA by my AF intel friend. I worked in DC as a policy intern pre-COVID where I got to meet and learn about the other agency and law enforcement folks I could apply to, but I don't have an interest in working at those places (nothing against them, just not a good mix).

Problems: I'm looking for potential areas of entry into DHS/CISA (ideally in California) that would...

• Be compatible with the unorthodox knowledge base and lack of official credentials. I think paying for certs is a shakedown, but I'd be willing to do "something" if it meant it was proof I knew x, y, and z.
• Ideally not require an extensive clearance process for two reasons... I'm open about my opinions with anyone I know (bit of a crypto-anarchist streak whose bio was at one point "the cfaa is dumb" lol). Additionally, I don't want to have to wait for months for the possibility of beginning to make money after I graduate. I know a lot of people who have gone through the process and it usually is described as a headache

So even though I generally do not have a favorable opinion of DHS (not really being ironic here lmao), I think that they do some good stuff especially as it relates to CISA. If the answer is "not a good idea", I'd prefer that to advice that is really just trying to put a square peg in a cylindrical hole. Just looking for some wisdom as I begin looking for my next move