Who am I, and how did I get here?
My name is Tim Prince, recently turned 45, and just starting
out on a Computer Support Specialist degree. I fall into the category of
working 20 years at the same company (Quest Diagnostics), very content with my
middle-management job in the Logistics/Transportation department, and having
that job eliminated through no fault of my own. Call it downsizing, corporate
restructuring, whatever you choose, but that moment comes quick and without
warning. Because Quest has always been a great company to work for, I left with
almost a year of severance pay. This allowed me to be in shock for a while, get
my bearings, and figure out what comes next without the immediate financial
pressure. This also allowed me to spend some quality time with my 3 children,
which was very fun and rewarding.
Based on using and enjoying computers for about 35
years (yes, 35years), the decision of what to study was pretty easy once the
decision was made to go back to school. I am part of the first generation of
kids that knew what a PC was. The first computer in our classroom did not even have a monitor. It looked like a giant printer.
As time
has gone on, I have always had a love of using computers, building and
upgrading them, etc… Having spent many years as an unofficial IT support person
for friends and family, this is something that I would like to do as a career.
