As a kid, Caleb Simoneau got in trouble for taking apart the family computer but always made sure to put it back together again. That early curiosity turned into a clear career path, leading him to NC’s Computer Systems Technician – Network and Cloud Technologies program.
Now graduating and already working in his field, Caleb is proud of everything he has accomplished during his time at NC, both in the classroom and behind the scenes.
Q&A with Caleb Simoneau:
How do you feel about your upcoming convocation day and what does it personally mean to you?
Graduation, for me, signifies that I’ve received the essential education needed to succeed in my career. As for how I feel, I feel excited closing a major chapter in my life, being able to go into the workforce knowing that I have “the right stuff”. I also feel a bit sad though that I don’t get to see my fellow graduates and the awesome professors I’ve met nearly as often anymore.
What were you doing before attending NC?
I enrolled right after high school. I had a plan in place long before I graduated high school so I jumped right into post-secondary.
What led you to study at NC and to your program of study?
Location was a big factor, but also because of the tour I took when I was in high school. The campus was great, the main classroom for CST was awesome, and I was able to talk to people about my program. Those major 3, Locality, Campus/classroom, and people were my deciding factors.
As for my program of study, I’ve always been interested in computers since I was young. My mom would always get mad when I took apart the family computer, but in my defense, I always got it back together and working.
What interests you in / why are you passionate about your field of study?
I’m passionate about System Administration & Networking because it’s everywhere. From making a simple phone call to making a credit card transaction, many everyday activities depend on networking and the systems administration done to maintain them. It’s like being part of the invisible backbone that keeps the world connected.
Do you have a specific career goal in mind when you enrolled in your program? Did it change since you started?
Not at all, I’m still on the same path I set from day one!
How did you find your program experience – any highlights?
Not many people will get this, but I’ll certainly try my best to set the stage. In COMP1296, there was lab that was 4 weeks long and it was about something called “Cloudstack”. If any alumni are reading this, I’ve just awoken some deep horrors they’ve tried to forget.
We’re at week 4 and 10 minutes before class ends everyone’s Cloudstack instances start breaking for some unknown reason and won’t come back online. In my group, Luca, Thomas, and I were the only ones that were still okay. Our professor Jim says, “If these guys can successfully reboot their cloudstack instance, everyone gets their stamps for this lab, if they don’t everyone will have to redo it”. The pressure was on.
At first, I had doubts. It looked like it was over. Then 1 minute before the bell, everyone is hovering over our shoulders, and it came back online, and the class went crazy. It’s fun experiences like that, and the people in my class, that I’ll never forget.
What did you find rewarding about your program and area of study? Does something stand out to you that you will never forget about your time at NC?
The thing I’ll never forget is the number of friends I’ve made through my time at NC, but also the number of professors that were just completely awesome and helped me through my college career.
Did you face and overcome any challenges to graduate?
My main struggle was balancing work, school, and my personal life. Anytime I wasn’t at school, I was at work. I didn’t really have anytime to myself as I always felt overwhelmed and like I was playing catchup. However, I overcame it, and I feel like I balanced everything pretty well.
Were you involved in any clubs, teams or extracurricular activities during your time at NC?
I was involved with our student union NCSAC as the board of director for the school of technology! I was never really involved with clubs, however over the course of my program I’ve seen more and more come up that pique my interest.
Do you feel your NC experience has helped prepare you for the future?
I think it has! The reason for that is because of the learning style. A lot of my program was hands on, and the professors didn’t hand hold when learning. The mentality is that, if you follow the instructions, you’ll be good. If you break something, you’re expected to learn how to fix it by researching etc. That’s how it is in the real world in my field.
What have you been doing since you completed your studies at NC?
Funny enough, still the same thing I was doing when I entered the CST program. I’m currently working at the Hilton Niagara Falls/Fallsview Hotel & Suites as a Network & Telecoms Specialist.
What’s next for you? Are you working or working towards a career goal or are you planning to pursue further education?
Right now I’m just working to get more experience in my field and taking it year by year. I would like to work on getting some more certifications like CompTIA Project+, Linux+ or an AWS certification.
Any other info you feel is important and would like to share?
To my fellow CST graduates, my professors, NCSAC, and the college staff, I want to thank you for making my college experience unforgettable. I enjoyed every minute of it.
