Hello all, my name is Kai Leisher, class of 2024, and I am a history major. I started working as a STA back in 2020, specifically the second week of my freshman year. Since then, I have had the pleasure of working with excellent coworkers in a field I plan to pursue after graduation, which, as of writing, is in a little less than a week! Throughout my four years working as a STA for the college, I have learned and refined several important skills relating to customer service and hardware and software support. These include, but are not limited to, laptop dismantling for repair and recycling, tagging and documenting inventory, reimaging laptops, printer and network connection problem solving, and more. Further, I have also had the opportunity to incrementally broaden my own general tech knowledge by staying up-to-date on the latest trends and innovations through my daily interactions with end users and coworkers.
During my four years, I have responded to hundreds of tickets and tens of dozens of classroom calls for a myriad of issues, ranging from printers to projectors to troubleshooting network connectivity issues over the phone. All of these duties and more have increased my level of preparedness for entering the next chapter in my life. As the first line of defense for general technology issues for the college, I feel confident in pursuing careers that value this experience, along with other customer service-related skills, as I transition into the full-time working world.
Some of the highlights from my work were unboxing and tagging hundreds of landline phones for a planned upgrade, where I was able to work through many hours of my Jimmy Buffett playlist. Another highlight was being sent to fix the uncooperative projector in Kauke 305 several times. All I can say is that I noticed certain trends in certain classrooms that I became weary of over my four years. Yet another highlight was getting John’s permission to hack apart Apple laptops for recycling. As an outspoken naysayer of Apple, I took great pleasure in putting said laptops in their proper place, that is, as paperweights (all done safely, of course).
To wrap things up, I want to thank first and foremost Joel for putting up with my “work-life balance,” a.k.a., never submitting my hours on time, and for always having an answer to my questions; Sam for being the go-to person for loaners and problem solving; Josh for impressively taking on Sam’s responsibilities in handling loaners (although his choice of car may be somewhat lacking); John for handling the majority of our department’s hardware needs and guiding me along the path of a hardware technician; Dan for taking me to some great car shows back when when my car was unflipped, and everyone else who I have had the pleasure of working with. Thanks, y’all; it’s been a great experience!