To apply the skills and knowledge acquired from two decades of personal and professional experience with technology and networking towards a fulfilling new career with opportunity to grow.
I remember when my family got our first computer; my dad arrived home one day from work with a few large, cow-patterned boxes. With much excitement the heavy boxes were opened, revealing the beige steel tower and massive display that became my first portal into the digital world. I quickly took to the new technology, finding myself in awe at the instantaneous global communication and free sharing of information that our primitive dial-up connection enabled. My interest in technology was well understood by my parents when it came time to upgrade the computer, so I was given the old PC to experiment with. Seeking more performance from the aging machine after upgrading it with used parts, I installed Slax Linux to a second hard drive. I was immediately smitten with Linux, but became truly enamored after installing the free Live CD of Ubuntu Feisty Fawn I had ordered. Not long after, I installed Ubuntu Server and ran the computer “headless” - my first server. From then on I've always run at least one computer as a Linux server 24/7, providing services for my family, my friends, and myself. Ultimately, I decided to pursue my passion for cameras and filmmaking as a career, beginning at my high school and college’s broadcast television studios. Still, my technical interests never waned, and at the University of Illinois I served as the technology chair of my fraternity where I revitalized our 50+ endpoint network. Since graduating, I've maintained consistent and healthy business as a freelance camera operator. I very much enjoy and am passionate about the work, particularly the opportunity to interact directly with my clients, but freelancing no longer aligns with my long term goals of stability and growth which is why I'm seeking to apply my acquired skills to a new career. Modern broadcast technologies employ networking for video transmission, so in addition to my personal explorations, I've gained a wealth of experience designing, implementing, managing, and troubleshooting networks during my professional endeavours. I'm skilled at installing fiber and copper cabling, terminating and testing coax and RJ45, building and working in racks, mapping signal flow, and RF analysis among other abilities. I've also spent 15 years writing C++ for Arduino compatible microcontrollers, teaching myself the basics of electrical engineering along the way, and have deployed many self-built smart devices in my home. I've developed a strong intuition for understanding and problem solving systems and networks, and I'm confident that I'll be able forge my personal and professional experience into a robust skill set for my next career. I'm looking for a position surrounded by knowledgeable colleagues who I can learn from and a team I that can contribute to. I'm up for a challenge and ready to jump into an environment where I can apply my passions - it's where I thrive the most. Thank you for taking the time to read my story and review my application, I hope to hear back from you soon!
To apply the skills and knowledge acquired from two decades of personal and professional experience with technology and networking towards a fulfilling new career with opportunity to grow.
Gateway G6
Slax 2.9
Ubuntu Desktop 7.04, Server 8.04 LTS
Provided my first platform to experiment with Linux and servers
HP Pavilion 514x
Ubuntu Server 10.04 LTS-12.04 LTS
Learned best practices for system and network security, remote access
Self-Built Custom 4U Server
Ubuntu Server 12.04 LTS-18.04 LTS
Windows 10
First computer I built from scratch
Raspberry Pi, 3x Zero 2 W
Raspbian Lite
Deployed using Bash scripts and Docker containers
Dell Optiplex Micro
Linux Mint
Debian
Provides private cloud services, multiple deployed at remote locations
ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2
Fedora
Learned best practices for system and network security, remote access
espWiFiUtils - Wrapper for Espressif ESP8266 and ESP32 Arduino WiFi, mDNS, and OTA libraries, simplifies setup
espHTTPServer - Wrapper for web server libraries, simplifies creating and serving HTML user interfaces
303mhzfan - Decoded and cloned an RF remote control with DIP switch settings for smart home integration
sonoffS31 - Custom firmware for Sonoff S31 smart outlets with power monitoring and current limiting protection
espDDNS - Dynamic DNS client for ESP8266 and ESP32 microcontrollers
Freelance Camera Operator, Videographer
Self Employed
Feb 2015 - Continuing
Lead teams and film independently to capture stories and document events with attention to cinematography
Communicate with clients about production planning and goals in order to provide a high level of service
Manage customer relations and business invoicing, expenses, and accounting
Technology Chair
Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity
Jan 2012 - May 2013
Maintained computer lab and building network, including WAN, pfSense firewall, switches, and APs
Redesigned the network architecture, drastically improving speeds without impact to budget
Freelance Camera Operator
Storyhunter
Nov 2017 - Continuing
Built business-to-business relationships over short- and long-term projects
Freelance Camera Operator
Scripps News
Dec 2021 - Apr 2023
Freelance Camera Operator
Erikson Institute
Sept 2017 - Mar 2020
Steadicam Operator
Fighting Illini Productions
Jan 2012 - Feb 2015
Utilized mobile broadcast package and studio television facility; deployed equipment, cameras, and cabling
Head of AV Production
New Trier Soundtraks
Aug 2007 - May 2011
University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign | Communication & Cinema Studies
Bachelor of Arts, Liberal Arts & Sciences
Class of 2015
3.48 GPA
Columbia College Chicago | Cinematography
Sept 2015 - July 2016, 4.0 GPA
Keio University, Tokyo | Study Abroad
Mar 2015 - July 2015, 4.0 GPA
C++ Developer | Camera Operator | Editor | Colorist | Technical Director | Data Manager | Wilderness Survival
Machine Learning | Generative AI | Blockchain | HTML | Microsoft Word | PowerPoint | Excel | Outlook | CRM