Data Center & Network Infrastructure Technician based in
Columbus, Ohio, currently deploying critical infrastructure at AWS.
I got into IT because I wanted more than what I saw ahead of me as a production chef. I loved my work, but I wanted a career where I'd keep learning and solving problems instead of hitting a ceiling on where my interests could actually take me. Tech had already been my hobby for years at that point I'd been messing with desktop Linux and building my own computers since I was 13, long before I thought of pursuing IT as a career. My first attempt at making the jump was web development: I enrolled in a full-stack bootcamp through Ohio State's College of Engineering and ended up failing out of it. That taught me a rather expensive lesson; the zero to hero approach is not sustainable, nor would it have actually set me up for success in my future career. Not only did my approach to learning need to change, but my starting point in tech needed to change as well. I was better suited to the systems and infrastructure underneath the applications than to building the applications themselves. So I pivoted to traditional IT infrastructure and started building on the years of hands-on computer knowledge I already had.
From there it was mostly self-taught. I studied for the CompTIA A+ on my own, then did instructor-led Network+ training through CompTIA Tech, which gave me a real foundation in hardware, OS, networking, and troubleshooting. That eventually got me into AWS through their Work-Based Learning program on the Data Center Operations team. What was meant to be a foot in the door quickly turned into a real stretch of growth. I converted from the WBLP program into a full-time role on that team, being put on as the on-shift technician for multiple machine learning data centers within two months of my conversion date. After developing and conducting instructor-lead training for an HPC server platform, I was promoted within my role to a level 3 DCO technician. After some time I was transferred to the deployment team building out new data centers when I floated some interest in the position. I had a busy year, re-vamping the team's new-hire technical training and delivering on 15 projects quickly and with high quality, earning another promotion.
Most recently I picked up the Security+ cert, partly to keep sharpening my own foundation and partly to better understand what the security teams I work with are actually doing. At the end of the day, it's the same curiosity that had me building computers at 13; I love figuring out how things work, why they break, and what to learn next.
Currently deploying new optical line systems and essential service network infrastructure for AWS data centers. Serve as a regional point of contact for the global wireless network security team and a local escalation point for network troubleshooting.
Progressed through AWS's Data Center Ops and ID Deploy Tech tracks since 2023 — configuring routers, switches, and access points, scaling production networks, and coordinating full-time staff and vendors to grow data center capacity.
Regularly delivers instructor-led training sessions, mentoring teammates on core network troubleshooting, accelerated computing platforms, and HPC networking, while fostering skill development across the team.
Verified credentials from CompTIA covering IT operations, networking, and cybersecurity fundamentals. Click any badge below to view the verified credential on Credly.
Computer hardware, operating systems, software troubleshooting, technical support, and IT operations.
Networking concepts, infrastructure, network operations, troubleshooting, and network security fundamentals.
Threat detection and mitigation, risk management, identity and access management, cryptography, and incident response.
CIOS — validated skills across core IT operations and support disciplines.
CSIS — combined validation of secure network design and infrastructure management.
See the full, verified credential collection on Credly.
Certifications currently in progress, building further depth across networking, systems administration, and project management.
Junos OS fundamentals, routing and switching concepts, and core Juniper networking technologies.
Core Red Hat Enterprise Linux administration — users, storage, networking, security, and containers.
Project lifecycle fundamentals across initiation, planning, execution, and closure for IT and business projects.
Archangel is an Arch Linux box that sits between my modem and the master router of my home mesh system. It's configured for automatic updates and snapshot rollbacks, running AdGuard Home to keep the household network safe and filtered and NetAlertX to keep an eye on every device joining the network. It's currently being upgraded into a high-availability network appliance that fails open: with a NOC-style passthrough network card, traffic keeps flowing to the router even if Archangel goes down.
Calypso is my homemade rackmount AI workstation, hand-built from an older dual-Xeon workstation board. The hardware is up and booting, and I'm now getting local AI models spun up on it before opening Odysseus AI up through Tailscale, so I can reach my own models from anywhere in the world.
Netwatch is a simple, low-power mini PC named after the corporation that polices the Net in Cyberpunk 2077. It's being set up for out-of-band management of the whole rack, using RS-232 adapters to reach each machine's console even when the network is down.
A portable, automated installer for my preferred Linux desktop on each Linux distro I use. It sets up labwc, sfwbar, fuzzel and alacritty with a consistent Crimson Dark theme across every app, on Fedora, Arch, CachyOS, Debian and Ubuntu, from a minimal TTY-only install or alongside an existing desktop.
Based in Columbus, Ohio. Open to conversations about network infrastructure, support engineer positions, and other IT roles — feel free to reach out by email or connect on LinkedIn.
