Nov. 3, 2011
When coaches and teammates have problems with computers they don’t have to look any further their teammate Ronnie Cameron to solve the glitch.
Cameron does not recall a time when he wasn’t interested in computers and the way they worked. Now in his fifth year of school he will be graduating this spring with his master’s degree in Information Technology (IT).
Cameron’s curiosity for computers sparked at a young age when his parents bought him a play computer for younger children.
“It only had about six functions,” Cameron remembers.
It was only short five years later that Cameron accomplished the feat of building his first computer. “
After that I knew it was something that would stick with me, I was very interested in the hardware and software in computers” Cameron says of the childhood memory.
Once Cameron graduated high school it seemed only fitting he would go to college majoring in IT, but that was not the case.
“I originally choose to major in finance so I could learn something new, but when the market tanked I changed my major to Information Technology and just got deep into learning about the different elements of IT, networking, databases, and all the different things IT has to offer” said Cameron.
One thing about Cameron’s major is that the field is always evolving. He remembers back to his youth when he was in second grade and only had one keyboard class where he and his classmates were taught where the home keys were.
“IT has grown so much, now second graders are walking around with Iphones. I remember when we only had one big slow computer at home, and now everyone has whole computers in their phones,” he states of the progress.
Cameron has been employed on campus with the Office of Computing and Communication Services (OCCS) for the two years he has been working on his masters. He started off in telecommunications which entailed making sure all the phone lines were connected and working properly.
“The first summer here I remember we had to connect cables for cameras in 110 degree heat and we were on a black roof in the village, I swear I was going to pass out,” laughs Cameron.
Cameron moved up from the roof top work and began working for the networking department at OCCS. His job with them was to make sure all the networks and internet continued to work on campus, as well as replace and update equipment.
Looking past graduation Cameron would like to play in the NFL or use his degree to get into project management for a consulting firm.
“Project management and consulting would give me the opportunity to work with different people on a case to case basis, I would not get stuck doing the same thing every day,” says Cameron.
With a career in consulting Cameron would improve a company’s current technology to make sure they are running efficiently. “Having a superior IT and supply chains is what separates good companies from bad companies,” “That’s what I really want to get into,” states Cameron.
Stay tuned for next week's final SENIOR SPOTLIGHT on quarterback Thomas DeMarco