If you want to be competitive, and on top of your game within this industry, you have to continuously learn. In this field, the studying never stops.

At the end of my freshman year, I built my own computer with the knowledge I had gained in the IT courses I took at school.

(About winning a robotics competition) “That pretty much sealed the deal. I told everyone, ‘I want to stick with technology. That’s what I want to do with my life.’

A couple of times I’ve had to get a couple of things from hard drives that have crashed. I’ve had to figure out a few things with Windows. I really enjoy it when I can fix somebody’s computer. It’s always a really great achievement.

I had no idea what a computer looked like on the inside. The only thing I knew how to do was get on the internet and watch YouTube videos.

There’s no ‘limit-per-person’ on certifications. I’ll probably get 20 more certs.

Being deployed underwater for three months is not for the weak minded or faint of heart. It takes a disciplined person to keep your wits about you.

Motivation and determination are great, but you also need hands-on materials.

When I first arrived in this country I did not have a job or health insurance, and I did not speak any English at all. My first job was in the kitchen, preparing food at a deli. I worked 10 hours every day, five days a week and made $150.00 a week.

By earning certifications you learn new stuff, validate what you already know and prepare yourself for better employment opportunities.

I get gratification when the light bulb goes on with a customer, when I give them the tools to make a more knowledgeable choice.

I love to watch, play and live sports. I love all sports especially basketball and soccer. Now I play with my sons and nephew every weekend.

I love my (motorcycle) and enjoy the power and freedom I feel when riding it.

I ran into this hacker who claimed he could hack my account with ease. I thought no way! I didn’t really understand hacking and figured my password was complex. So I dared him.

Since I was a little-kid I’ve always been interested in computers. I grew up teaching myself about computers and how to fix them.

I started out by repairing a friend’s laptop, and buying replacement parts. That’s when I realized how much computer shops were making in profit. So, I decided to do it myself. I would buy a broken computer for $50, and after repairing it I could resell it for $200.

My main goal is to be content. I want to be content in my career. I’d like to work as either a software developer or programmer, and just help others out.

I enjoy working in IT security. There are so many aspects to security, and every company and set-up is unique. It’s a new challenge every time.

Never stop trying! Even if you fail an exam once, it doesn’t mean you’ll never pass it. Take the time to go back and review everything that you have learned.

I always want to do better than I did yesterday, whether it’s my job, my career, or even just doing things around the community. I want to be a person that makes a positive difference.

Octopi are a lot stronger than you think. She just reached out, grabbed my arms with her tentacles and tried to pull me into the water. I had to struggle to get her tentacles off me.

I believe I have an obligation to help others and that I can use my tech skills to do so.

I mostly just ‘run and gun’ it with books and other practice materials including videos, notes and lots of practice questions. Whatever feels right at the time.

Keeping a dedicated schedule caused conflicts with other responsibilities. My social life suffered. While friends would go out to eat and see movies, I went to practice. I constantly had to prioritize all my extracurricular activities.

I crashed my mother’s car when I was four years old. She ran inside to get my sister from babysitting. I had seen other people drive and figured, ‘Why not?’

(About fixing his own car) “The price for repairs made me angry, so I decided to fix it myself.

I like having something to work toward. I like to feel I’m accomplishing something, even if it’s not immediate; (I can press on) as long as I’m working towards some worthwhile end.

We all knew the server we played completely and would talk about how cool it would be to have a server with custom mods. I thought, ‘How hard can it be to create one with my own plug-ins and custom mods?’

(About competing in a national cybersecurity event) “I was honestly hoping to lose at state so that I wouldn’t have to go on. I really just wanted to continue completing my other certifications.

When you have an abundance of opportunities you get to choose where you want to go. When you have a lack of opportunities, they choose where you will go.