Jake Harrison

Reynolds Community College
29 March 2022

Information Technology Specialist III

Where did you grow up and what was it like?

I grew up in Hanover county and Sebastian, Florida. I stayed in both a developed community and later in a more rural part in Hanover. It seemed like a quiet and safe place as a kid. I moved with family to Sebastian to finish high school. It was very beautiful and I enjoyed fishing with my grandfather. Unfortunately it didn't provide much opportunity for the career I was interested in.

What were you doing before coming to Reynolds?

I worked with a federal contractor in the FAA realm while in Florida.

What attracted you to working for the college?

I like project based work in IT and my previous experiences working in an educational environment were great.

Tell us about your position and your work at the college?

I'm an Information Technology Specialist III and lead the systems engineering team in the Department of Technology.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? The most challenging?

I enjoy enabling other faculty and staff that work towards the goals of the college. In return, the college is positively impacting the members of our community. I also enjoy working with our support team at the VCCS. Dr. Amar, Mary Jane Bolling, and Alicia Marques are great at what they do and I'm lucky to work with them.

The most challenging part would have to be the workload! It's just been myself for quite a while, but luckily that is changing this week.

What do you like to do when you aren't working?

I look forward to going home and spending time with my family every day. I inherited my father's motorcycle and learned how to work on bikes just enough to get it running. I have a home lab environment for studying and enjoy electronics. A recent project I did was assemble a handheld device that looks and functions like a Gameboy, but it can also be used for network assessments.

What are your favorite books, movies, or TV series, and why?

I'll occasionally watch a TV show like Mythic Quest for the noise, but most of the time end up watching Blippi with my daughter. I'm currently reading "System Center Configuration Manager Reporting Unleashed" on my tablet.

If you won $100 million in the lottery, what would you do with the money?

I'd like to buy a house with a yard, pay off debt, and start a nonprofit refurbishing computers or bringing esports to schools.