Student Star: Bryan Valentine

Name: Bryan Valentine
Major: Information Technology

“A lot of people are scared of technology or just don't know how to make it work for them. I enjoy showing them what IT can do.”

“I love technology—all the cool gadgets and powerful hardware and software tools that make life easier and more productive,” says Bryan Valentine, a senior majoring in Information Technology (IT).

“A lot of people are scared of technology or just don’t know how to make it work for them. I enjoy showing them what IT can do. I just really enjoy helping people. If I can help one person, that person can teach other people down the road.

“I have been involved in two Service Learning projects through my courses. The first was a semester-long project where my group built a website from the ground up for Neighborhood Health Services, Inc. It was a great success because we learned so much about working with a real world client. Class case studies cannot come close to being more educational.

“The second project involved fixing problems with Apalachee Ridge Learning Center’s network of 30 workstations. They needed $200 worth of equipment, which was donated by our group and Info2Go, our course instructor’s company. The equipment greatly improved the network’s efficiency, which was very important to our group in that every day 15+ disadvantaged students can further their education in Apalachee Ridge’s after-school program and media camp.

“Being a Resident Assistant (RA) in Deviney Hall made me a responsible, caring person. As a young freshman, I didn’t know anything about college life. It was my RA that really helped me learn the do’s and don’ts. In turn, I was able to help incoming freshmen get adjusted, and I learned to be a good communicator.

“I recommend everyone take Dr. Robert Brooks’ course Communication for IT Professionals. He is a great person and loves to teach his students, using practical real world examples, so that they fully understand the material.

“After graduation in the spring, I plan to move back to my hometown in Jacksonville and start my career as a network administrator at a large company. Network administrators play an important role—being responsible for all the behind-the-scene operations that allow users to email, access the Internet, and network globally.”