By Kyle Simons
I remember when my father brought home our first family computer. I immediately started trying to learn everything that I could about computers and programming. I checked out books from the library and spent hours writing simple code to try and make my own programs and games. In high school, I took all of the computer tech courses they had to offer to learn everything I could about computers, and before I graduated high school, I had my A+ certification.
After high school, I went a completely different route and tried to follow my original childhood passion for drawing and cartoons. I went to The Art Institute of Atlanta to study Media Arts & Animation. A few years into my degree, I realized that there weren’t too many animation career opportunities in the Atlanta area, so I transferred down to The Art Institute of Tampa to be closer to Disney’s Florida studio. Unfortunately, my timing couldn’t have been worse. It wasn’t long before Disney closed down their Florida animation studio, and other major animation studios in the area followed suit.
After some time in Florida, I moved back home to Tennessee and came up with a new plan. I refocused more onto my technology background and restarted my education at Western Governor’s University pursuing a degree in Database and Network Administration. I got a job at the local community college, Cleveland State, working on the Computer Support Help Desk. During that time, I obtained seven more IT certifications and worked my way up to the position of PC/Network Technician.
While at Cleveland State, I got married, and my wife and I had a little girl. However, as I was reaching the end of my IT degree, the degree options changed, as they often do at WGU, and I hit a financial roadblock that put a halt to my college pursuits. We decided to put our family resources on seeing my wife through college instead, and I withdrew from WGU. I took that time to start looking around for other jobs in the area and I found the listing for Laboratory Technician at Chattanooga State library.
I applied and eagerly accepted when I got the offer. It’s been a smooth transition, and I’ve learned a lot in the process. I’m glad for this opportunity to continue building my career and expanding my knowledge and skill set along the way.
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