About Me
I created this website to provide some insight into who I am as a professional, showcasing my work and academic experiences in greater detail. My interest in technology began early, as I observed rapid changes happening all around me-from video game consoles, to the rise of smartphones and increasingly more powerful computers.
This curiosity inspired me to pursue a career in IT, where I could better explore this passion in a productive way. With hands-on experience in IT support, device management, and systems troubleshooting, I thrive in fast-paced environments, consistently providing reliable solutions.
Experience
IT Analyst
Performance Food Group | Jun 2023 - Present
- I am currently an IT Analyst at Performance Food Group (PFG), a Fortune 500 food distributor. Our location is the busiest in the region, spanning across 4 different buildings and warehouses. As a result, we are responsible for managing hundreds of users, ranging from in-office employees to traveling sales representatives.
- In this role, I work with a small team of analysts to manage user accounts, troubleshoot technical issues, and execute projects, among other responsibilities. The fast-paced nature of this role requires me to wear many different hats, and has helped me develop my communication skills. It has also highlighted the importance of accurate and organized documentation, and knowing the right questions to ask.
- Overall, I have gained experience that has developed my technical skills and given me a better understanding of working in a high volume environment.
Service Desk Technician
Georgia Southern University | Feb 2021 - May 2023
- I worked as a service desk technician during my time at Georgia Southern University. It was my first introduction to the IT workspace, and was a valuable learning experience for me. In this role, I honed my troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, while also developing the ability to communicate technical solutions to non-technical users.
- In addition to typical helpdesk duties like managing calls, chats, and monitoring tickets, we also provided in-person technical support to professors and students. Handling technical issues in lecture halls packed with hundreds of students pushed me to think quickly and stay composed under pressure. These situations demanded quick solutions, which helped me adapt to working in fast-paced environments.
- I believe this job was critical to who I am today as a professional, and that everybody would benefit from having some service desk experience under their belt.
Education & Certifications
Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (3.97 GPA)
Georgia Southern University | Aug 2019 - May 2023
Certifications
- CompTIA Network+ (2024)
Projects
Laptop Refresh
When I first joined PFG, much of our IT documentation was in disarray. We didn't have an accurate account of which users were assigned to certain laptops, or how many of them were outdated.
I led an initiative to inventory all devices and to identify users in need of replacements. We then prepared over 200 replacement devices and coordinated swapping the laptops with each user. This was particularly challenging to coordinate with our sales reps, who are spread across GA and parts of South Carolina.
This was my first major project, and I was tasked with leading this effort among the other analysts. We successfully replaced the devices without data loss or significant interruptions. This experience taught me valuable lessons in project management and effective communication.
Penetration Testing Lab
In college, we had to complete a semester-long project designed to showcase the skills we had learned throughout our 4 years of study. These projects were very hands-on, with minimal guidance from our professor. The purpose of this was to encourage us to figure things out on our own and gain more practical experience.
For my project, I chose to focus on penetration testing. I knew the basics of what penetration testing was, but I had no direct experience with it. This provided me a chance to dive in and develop new skills in a topic that interested me.
I used VMware Workstation to set up virtual machines, simulating attacks on various environments, including Windows Server, Windows 10, and Linux. I utilized common tools such as Nmap and Metasploit framework to identify and exploit different vulnerabilities. I was able to perform port scanning, simulate brute force attacks, remotely access target machines, amongst other common attacks. Playing around with these tools helped me understand where vulnerabilities may lie on a network.
Additionally, I tested vulnerable web applications such as OWASP Juice Shop and Web Goat. I simulated different attacks including cross-site scripting and SQL injection, using Burp Suite as a helpful traffic capturing tool.
Cable Tracing
A section of our building flooded and underwent a complete renovation. These renovations included new offices, hallways, and resulted in extensive rewiring of network connections. As a result, we needed to update our documentation and diagrams in order for them to maintain accuracy.
We tested each new port for activity and used a network toner to map the corresponding switch ports to each office Ethernet port. Using Microsoft Visio, we created detailed diagrams of the office layouts and documented every connection. Additionally, we placed labels on each wall port with its corresponding switchport number so that we can correctly identify where they connect to.