Following Mr. Weils, PC Support Technician,  winning our school’s first ever Patriot Pride Service Award, the Patriot Press got a chance to sit down with him and ask him some questions

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What was your reaction when you found out you won this award, especially considering it was created in your honor? I know that due to some technicality you were not allowed to win the other award (Educational Services Professional of the Year Award) because you work in tech, so it must’ve been a pretty big deal that this new award that you won was created just for you.

I was just absolutely beside myself and blown away; how previous teachers of the year formed a committee and especially from Joe DiGiuseppe himself, the overall overwhelming amount of support from the entire building. They wanted me to have it so bad for such a long time. Just to have it the first time they created this, like Adam Brusotti had so much involvement too. I am just still so astonished and besides myself!

How long have you worked for FTHS? How was it when you first started? 

It will have been 15 years, April 17th next year. That is a very profound date because my 14 year old son was born the same exact day. So, I was freaking out when I started because I had to take time off right when I started working here. But, my boss Don Markese (Coordinator for Info Tech) at Central; it was ok with him. It has been 15 years now and a second family to me.

Since you have been here such a long time, would you like to touch on how your job has changed with the progression of technology?

It has changed so much! When I first got here we didn’t even have phones with Caller ID. Teachers did not have laptops; they had computer desktops in the rooms, they had small printers because there were no network printers around, there were no labs. The evolution from that to teachers getting laptops and now we’re into our fourth generation with them is amazing. We used to have an antiquated camera system that froze and the guys could never use, but now we have evolved into a cutting edge camera system. All that I deal with now myself versus when I started, I could just go on and on and on. I’m a man of many hats now.

Definitely, and I can imagine it was even more so when remote learning started? 

That just put it through the roof! The complexity of the kids being at home having their own home internet meant that you can’t really troubleshoot each individual’s household. That’s why it was just such a nightmare with some of you guys and google meet, with some kids cutting in and out and the teacher getting frustrated. But, we weathered the storm with that and now you guys being back makes it a lot easier.

Something you wish you would have known before you started working here?

I guess I would want to know but at the same time wouldn’t how the staff is here, because I came from the private sector where you’re just a number. You do not get thanked for things and you are not appreciated there, and even when you do it’s so few and far between. My first week or two here, people were thanking me for doing things, and I was just like “What??? Are you ok?” I’m saying to myself, “What is going on?” Maybe if I was tipped off on that a little bit, but it really wasn’t a big deal to me. I embrace this job with open arms, just because it’s a public sector job, health benefits for the family, and pension, so it’s kind of hard for me to come up with something I wish I knew.

What led you to this career? Kind of explain your journey as to how you realized this was a field that interested you?

It’s interesting you say that because I started out going to Penn State Mont Alto campus. I went there to be a meteorologist. I love the weather and it is my hobby. Mr. Grimes loves the weather as much as me, so we always have our chats here and there about it. But as I started getting into college there and the basic subjects, I became unsure and realized this science was not for me, and I was spinning my wheels. And I got homesick, came back home, and I was still spinning my wheels, so I went for a General Ed degree. Way back around 2000, they had a place called Chubb Institute, it’s no longer I forgot what they named it now, but it was in East Brunswick across from Devry Institute. And how I got into computers was not only going to school there, but my parents got the first computer in the house and then I just started researching and getting interested, opening it up, replacing things, and it just sparked it. Then, I found out about this computer school and things evolved from there.

What would you say is your favorite part of your job?

It is very difficult when you have to help people with some of the techs that are out there. I’m a person that always keeps everyone on a level playing field; I don’t look down or up upon anyone, everyone’s technical aptitude is the same. Going off of that, helping people here with navigating their job to lessen their stress when it comes to technology. So they come up to me, and I just love helping people in this career.

Yeah, and I can imagine that when the older teachers envisioned their teaching career down the line, they would’ve never imagined it to be involving technology this much

Definitely, and I’m just bred for my stock as a compassionate person, so that kind of carries over with my job, and you just have to have so much patience. It tests you, but I really enjoy helping the people here.

What is some advice you’d give to someone pursuing a career like yours?

Build your foundation with a degree, get the four year degree, go into information technology, and then get your certifications. There are two paths you can kind of take; computer programming or my route of technical support, and then you get into networking and build up from there. So, I would say get the foundation of the schooling before your degree and then get the certifications because they hold a lot of weight. For a kid just trying to get into the field, see if you could go for a school where they give an internship or job placement.

Well that concludes our interview. Thank you so much and again congratulations on your award!

Thank you so much too! I’m just so overwhelmed it’s unbelievable!