In the April 2018 issue of Certification Magazine, Virginia Beach City Public Schools graduate Chris Hultin credits both certifications and an Advanced Technology Center (ATC) instructor for his successful career in information technology (IT).
In his “People in Certification” profile of Hultin, associate editor Calvin Harper wrote:
Hultin credits certifications for helping him land a valuable IT internship with an architectural firm. “Earning certs while in high school is awesome,” he said. “While certifications aren’t a substitute for experience, they are a great way to get your foot in the door for tech jobs, especially if you don’t have any experience.
“Without the knowledge behind the certifications, I probably wouldn’t have gotten my internship.”
The 2012 graduate of Kellam High School and ATC Network Administration and Cybersecurity student also credits ATC instructor Linda Lavender for his post-graduate success.
Hultin told Harper: “Truthfully, I would not be where I am if not for her,” he said. “She is always helpful, always willing to share knowledge, and just a great teacher. I owe her a lot.”
According to the article, the now-Texas resident visits the ATC at least twice a year “just to say hello, talk to students about IT and take Lavender to a well-deserved lunch.”
After studying computer science Old Dominion University for two years, Hultin left Virginia to join the IT workforce in Austin, Texas. Harper’s article spotlights Hultin’s climb up the corporate ladder in Rackspace. In Hultin’s current position as a Linux Systems Engineer at ObjectRocket, a subsidiary of Rackspace, “he helps with the architecting and automating of new systems and building a foundation for the next generation of products.”
Certification Magazine is described as “a technical training and certification publication…[that] examines career options and profiles educators and professionals who lead the industry.” Harper ends his profile of Hultin by sharing the 23-year-old’s advice for others starting out in IT. “Take advantage of every opportunity you have, even if you think they have small chance to succeed. You never know what’s going to happen.”
To read the complete article about Hultin, visit certmag.com.