Sean Sosa
Network Support Technician I, The Evangelical Good Samaritan Society; Sioux Falls, SD
STI Class of 2009
Degree: Network Administrator

Adapting to the World of Technology
Sean Sosa transitions careers from food service to computer network technician expert.

At 28, Sean Sosa wasn’t a traditional student by any means. With a decade of experience working in the pizza business doing everything except owning a store, a career change was in the works. Sean remembers, “After getting married, I decided I needed a change. I was curious about computers but didn’t know anything about them. I grabbed the Southeast Tech computer degree information books and figured that the Network Administrator degree had the most cross over into the other degrees so I chose that one. Little did I know that I would enjoy networking so much!”

Emerging himself into a blend of classroom lecture and hands-on learning for two years was a blessing for Sean. A professed computer illiterate, Sean shares, “I feel that without the hands-on training and superior classroom instruction I wouldn’t have been as prepared to enter into a new career field as I was.” He notes, “Not only did that make learning much easier, it also gave me experience with the equipment that I am now working with on a daily basis.”

Today, Sean works for the nation’s leading not-for-profit provider of senior care and services, The Evangelical Good Samaritan Society in Sioux Falls, SD. As a Network Support Technician, he coordinates and deploys networking equipment for a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone solution to over 250 Good Samaritan Society Centers across the nation. In addition, he also helps with daily troubleshooting support requests from the centers dealing with VPN, wireless and network outages as well as maintenance on network equipment across the entire GSS network.

Knowing he has found his niche, Sean has found great satisfaction working with the challenges of ever-changing computer technology. “The Network Administrator field is growing and diverse, but it’s not for the faint-of-heart as you never stop learning. Technology is always evolving so you must learn and adapt to those changes to keep you and your company competitive. That constant change helps keep it very exciting and fresh!”