Enjoy yourself, it's never too late.

My time in high school

Attended high school in the
1990s

Overall high school experience
8/10. I came to [High school name omitted] as a junior and while I only made a few friends, the school and city were an amazing place to live with so many opportunities

Grades in high school
B’s and C’s. I scored well on tests but never did the work outside class. I probably should have :)

 

Favorite subjects
Computer Science / Engineering / Technical

Struggled with...
The rest that required work outside class

Favorite extracurricular
Music


Life since high school

I regret segregating myself from others and not opening myself up honestly.

Attended college / university at
Dropped out of the University of Utah to work at an Internet Service Provider and have built my career from there

Post-graduate education or training
Certifications specific to the discipline.

Places lived in US
California, Utah

Places lived outside the US
Yes, in Amsterdam, NL

Current occupations / past occupations
Manager DevOps and Infrastructure, Site Reliability Engineering, Systems Administration, Technical Program Manager

Industries I've worked in
- Utilities
- Construction
- Retail Trade
- Transportation and Warehousing
- Information (e.g. Publishing, Film, Broadcast, Telecommunications, Libraries)
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (e.g. Law, Accounting, Interior Design, Graphic Design, R&D, - PR, Advertising, etc.)
- Management of Companies and Enterprises
- Educational Services
- Nonprofit

Did your education prepare you for your career or occupation?
High School more so than college to be honest.

Has your education or career/occupation trajectory ever changed? How?
I intended to graduate in computer science but was able to just get going with the skills learned in high school and through hobby


A little introspection...

To me, being successful means...
The ability and means to share experiences with my loved ones and the confidence to make myself vulnerable enough to constantly expand that group.

My definition of success has changed over time. 
I stopped assuming that success for me was what it meant to others. 

My greatest accomplishment to date and what I’ve learned from it
Raising 4 children. I learned humility and the meaning of loving unconditionally.

My biggest mistake or regret so far and what I’ve learned from it
I regret segregating myself from others and not opening myself up honestly. It was easier to assume I wasn't wanted and to fulfill that prophecy on my own than to admit maybe I wasn't the best at everything, but still a valuable individual others would want to interact with.

An unexpected event that significantly changed my life and how it impacted me
My first wife left me and attempted to prevent visitation of our child. I was crushed, everything I believed to be true about my life seemed false or synthetic. It took a while to heal and I'm still learning from it 10 years later


This alumni is open to your questions and follow-ups.
In order to protect anonymity, we will pass along your message and they can choose whether to respond.


My favorite spot in or around Palo Alto

Bol Park and the path, say hi to Katie if you walk through.