Get to know Felicia Taylor, START's IT Program Manager, in our latest Staff Spotlight. Find out what inspired her unique career change from the classroom to the world of technology and the one simple tech tip she thinks everyone should know. Read the full interview to learn more about her creative side and her love for the outdoors.
1. Can you describe your role in your own words, and what drew you to a career in IT?
My role as an IT Program Manager is to provide IT services across all IT-related business operations. This includes hardware/software compliance and procurement, troubleshooting, asset management, and overall information management. I was drawn to this career after teaching English for 4 years and working in various positions within the education field prior to that. After COVID, classroom management became overwhelming, and I knew I had to make a shift for my own sanity. Troubleshooting hardware/software was something I was naturally good at, so I decided to take a leap of faith and go for it as a career. It has truly been one of the best decisions I've ever made!
2. What’s been your most rewarding or challenging project here at START?
My most rewarding and challenging projects with START began when I first started here. At the time, there were more than 200 devices to manage, including Cisco phones, laptops, desktops, multifunctional printers, and other IT equipment. Getting everything properly accounted for, into compliance, and eventually disposing the outdated devices was a long process, but it has bee rewarding to see everything cleaned up and organized. Having a firm grip of devices we have and knowing they are being properly managed is a great feeling.
3. What's one simple tech tip you think everyone at START should know?
One tech tip I will always have for anyone who will listen is to update your computer as often as you can remember. Most security patches and repairs for computers are in the updates.
4, What's your earliest memory of using technology or your very first computer?
My earliest memory of using my first computer had to be when I was about 11. I remember using it to play games like 3D Pinball, Snake, Minesweeper and Solitaire. A couple years later, AOL and AIM came along and that became a whole new world of entertainment for me!
5. Outside of work, what do you do for fun?
For fun I consider myself to be a fake nail tech. I started doing nails in around 2018. It's actually a form of meditation for me because it allows me to lock in, focus, and be as creative as I want to be. I'm also a huge lover of the outdoors. I love camping, hiking, swimming and pretty much anything else that gets me outside. I'm also a vocalist and musician, so creating music will always be something I love to do.
6. Do you have a favorite app or piece of software you can't live without?
I can live without technology altogether. I'd be off the grid totally if I could lol!
7. Looking ahead, what new skills are you excited to learn or goals you're working towards?
Right now I'm working towards my certification in Information Systems Management at Towson University. I'm constantly taking classes to either sharpen the skills I already have or learn something new in the technology field. Technology is always evolving, so I think it's important to keep learning and stay up to date with the changes happening in the industry.