What qualities or characteristics did you see in the people around you that you want to develop in yourself? Why?

A lot of I.T. is working with people and especially with their computer, printer, or technical problem. My MAAC mentor, Brian, says that about 90 percent of all the technical problems he fixes while working with people are user error, and that usually settings don't change by themselves. One characteristic that I saw in the people I worked with that I want to develop in myself is patience. I want to develop patience because when you are an I.T. and you work with people, the first thing you have to do is calm the person down and tell them that you are here to fix the problem. You have to be patient with them, even if the problem is their fault.

What new appreciations did you develop while working as an intern? Why?

After working with I.T.s from a small school and a large company, I have a new appreciation for the I.T. While working with I.T.s, I got to see firsthand the problems they have to deal with, whether it was technical or people. A lot of the time it's people. I also got to experience what it was like working at an I.T. department with a lot of funding and not as much. MAAC's I.T. Department didn't have as much funding as HTHNC would have. While interning at MAAC, most of the computers we worked with where about 5 to 10 years old and ran Windows XP. Whenever we had an old computer that needed to be fixed, the first thing we decided was whether or not we can upgrade the components in the computer or salvage the parts from it. At HTHNC, whenever a school mac was missing keys or had a cracked screen, Gustavo would just open one of his large cabinets, take a part from it, and fix the broken computer so that we could still use it.

How did you make a meaningful contribution to your workplace?
I created an application which can be described as a mobile version of High Tech High North County's Website. This application was designed to be an easy tool for people with mobile devices to access things that are on the school's website like the digital portfolios and calendar.

How did your project go from an idea or inspiration to a final product?
I was first inspired to create a mobile application based on Michael and William's other applications for HTHNC. I wanted to be able to utilize my coding skills that I learned in Mr. Leader's X-Block. Gustavo gave me the idea to create a QR Code scanner that could scan the bar code stickers on the bottom of each of the school Macs, ask the user if he/she would like to email or text the teacher whom the laptop belongs to, and from there, pull up their email or texting application so they could do that. First, I researched easy ways to create that app, but none of them featured a bar code scanner. Then I researched tools where I could script an application for Android, since Gustavo, who was an Android phone, would be the only person to use it. I found an Android Developers Kit on the Android website and I played around with it. It turned out that the Android Applications that I could create with the ADK needed to be scripted in Java, a scripting language that I have not used yet. It was also too advanced for me to create such an app in three weeks.

Finally, I decided to create a "Windows 8" version of Michael and Will's HTHNC App. Since they have created HTHNC Apps for iOS and Android, I wanted my app to have a bit of the look and feel of Windows 8, but still have the links from the High Tech High North County website like the digital portfolios. My final app is a working, yet functional HTHNC Website App with the look of Windows 8.

How has this experience (the internship) made you consider your college path that will ultimately lead to your career?

• Consider what you have observed and learned about your mentor or other employees at your site, and reflect on your own academic & professional preparation.
  

Based on the experience I have gained from my internship, I feel that my college path will most likely be in some type of programming or in another computer field. I am still considering Information Security, but I am currently not sure still. This internship has not only made me realized the ups and downs of IT, but has also showed me what I might need to prepare for if I do choose a path toward IT.

From today to the the end of Junior Internships, I will be interning at the MAAC(Maximizing Access for Advancing our Communities)'s IT Department. Gustavo has been kind enough to work out an Internship at MAAC's IT Department in order for Michael, Will, and I to get a feel for what it is like to work at a "real" IT Department. Since we will be interning at a different place, Gustavo will not be my mentor. Instead, my new mentor will be Mohammad. I appreciate Gustavo for letting me intern with him and also for securing us another internship in order to help us learn more about IT.

"Self Advocacy" - the ability to speak up for yourself when you need support, when you're confused about something, or when you're uncomfortable with a situation.

How have you advocated for yourself during your internship, or seen advocacy demonstrated in other situations?

While I was trying to fix a printer, I couldn't figure out how to fix the problem. A notification popped up on the printer in the front desk. It said that there is a problem and to press "Okay" to continue, Each time I would try pressing the Okay Button on the printer, it would do its checks, checking itself for any problems like low ink or paper jam. After the normal screeching of the printer due to manufacturing of it's parts, the printer would seem fine, but the same notification would pop up saying there is a problem and to press the Okay button. I tried using what I know in order to fix some of the problems that may happen with printers. First, I checked if there were any cables left unplugged. The cables were fine as the notification had nothing to do with cables. Then I checked the ink, but I knew we had replaced them earlier that day. Next, I checked for any jams, but the fact that the parts inside were moving smoothly and that there wasn't any paper stuck in the printing mechanism was also not it. Finally, I tried to force shut down the printer. For some reason, the buttons weren't working as the printer was doing it's checks. I had to resort to unplugging the power to the printer and plug it back in to start it up. It did not work and the notification popped up again. I told one of the front desk ladies, Shelia, that I was going to ask Gustavo for some help. I walked to the IT room, peeked my head in, and said to Gustavo, "Hey, I need some help with the printer at the front desk." He knew I was the "printer guy" because I was the intern who mostly helped with the printers, but I need some help from him. Gustavo walked back with me as I explained to him that I wasn't able to figure out what was wrong with the printer. He went to the printer, read the notification, and pressed "Okay". The printer started to rattle as the inkjets inside moved back and forth. The printing mechanism screeched as gears turned, checking to see if there were any problems. The built-in scanner also moved around, checking to see if it too had any problems. Finally, all of the mechanisms came to a complete stop, signaling the end of the many self-checks. No notifications showed up, and all of the buttons were working fine. It was like Gustavo had the magic touch and fixed the printer with no stress at all. I was still amazed that Gustavo had got it working as I couldn't, but all I needed to do was ask.

What questions do you have about your internship?
What would it be like to fix PC's instead of Mac's?

What connections can you make between this internship and what you've done in school?
While creating my final product, Gustavo was asking us how much of the product we are done with and to finish a certain percent by a certain time.

Has anything happened that's worth telling us about? Funny stories?
I am called "printer-guy" by Gustavo and the Front Desk staff because I am usually the person who goes and fixes or helps them with their printers.

What have you learned about your organization's mission and purpose?
The IT Department helps maintain productivity when electronics, devices built to increase productivity, break or are hard to understand.

What new skills are you developing (or will you need to develop) for this internship?
I am developing problem solving skills and people skills.

What questions do you have about your internship?
I don't have any questions so far.

What connections can you make between this internship and what you've done in school?
Solve problems as a group using current knowledge or researching online.

Has anything happened that's worth telling us about? Funny stories?
Not really.

What have you learned about your organization's mission and purpose?
Fix computers, printers, and projectors so that others can continue working.

What new skills are you developing (or will you need to develop) for this internship?
Problem solving skills.