Interview by Wendel Sloan
Communication Services

"Money comes and goes, but memories and experiences stay with you forever." – Mark Mitchelson

Editor's Note: Mark Mitchelson, Lab and Classroom Technology Specialist, began employment at ENMU on May 18 immediately after graduating from ENMU with a bachelor's of science in information systems, with a a minor in graphic design. He has an associate degree from from Estrella Mountain Community College in Arizona.
In the following interview he talks about his job and life.

Q. What are the main duties of your job?
A. A sample of my main duties include:

• Software installation including hardware configuration, operating systems, application software and network interfaces.
• One-on-one counseling and problem-solving with previously stated issues.
• Supervision, management, and maintenance on all equipment in Smart Classrooms, Computers-on-Wheels and computer lab environments.

Q. What have you enjoyed most about your job, and what have been the biggest challenges?
A. I like the dual nature of my job. For some aspects, I work in my office with paperwork and software. The other aspects require me to be out and about on campus, visiting different buildings and classrooms for hardware or consulting issues. One of the biggest challenges of this job is being able to troubleshoot and fix issues on the spot.

Q. What changes do you anticipate making?
A. As old chapters close and new ones open, some of the recent changes I've made have been moving into a new house, and now moving into a new office. Of course, now that I have a professional career, it may be time to change attire as well.

Q. What were you doing before you came to ENMU, and what other jobs have you held? A. Before I came to ENMU I was attending a local community college in Phoenix. I was undeclared and undecided, I was two years in and I still had no idea what I wanted to do. While I was in school I was interning at city hall in the economic development department. Before that, I worked at a Dunkin Donuts for the summer at my home town.

Q. Where were you born, raised, and what was your life like growing up?
A. I was born and raised in Los Angeles California. From there we moved quite a bit around California, and even ended up living in Roswell, New Mexico for a couple of years. We settled in a little town named Buckeye in Arizona, just outside of Phoenix and that’s where I've been living until now. My parents work and tend to the house; my little brother is a straight-A student still in high school and have high hopes for him.
My family is back home in Buckeye, Ariz. My parents, little brother, two dogs and cat have been waiting patiently for me to return home. Unfortunately for them, I have a career at ENMU. They need not worry though, I'll be visiting them a lot more frequently now.

Q. What are your hobbies?
A. I have quite a bit of hobbies. I usually log onto skype with my local and out of state friends, and play some video games. Sometimes I'll hop into Photoshop or Illustrator and make some infographics, drawings, wallpapers or edit photos for fun. Painting, sculpting, and ceramics are too messy, haven't really done much of that lately. I take my dogs on hikes whenever I'm back home, aquascape my freshwater fish tanks, [try to] cook, and make frequent road trips with my friends and roommates.

Q. What is your ultimate career goal?
A. That's hard to say, I still think I'm trying to figure myself out. But if I had to say, I see myself climbing the ladder. I'd like something managerial, but still actively working alongside the others. Endgame would be to reach something along the lines of a system administration manager, network management, or even a CIO. Never settle for less, gotta keep your aspirations high!

Q. What gives your life meaning? Besides career goals, what else do you hope to accomplish?
A. This might sound a bit cheesy but I hope to achieve inner peace and happiness. I'd like to be able to look back and be happy with the decisions I've made and the path I took. So many of us wake up, go to work, go back home, rinse and repeat. Money comes and goes, but the memories and experiences stay with you forever. I want to spend more time with friends and family and experience this world for what it is.

Q. What is your general impression of Portales, and ENMU?
A. When I first came to Portales, it was a bit of a culture shock. I lived in the city for most of my life, and, ironically, Portales was a lot to take in. It's a small town, a lot of friendly people, some of the best friends I've made have all come from around here. The campus was very charming; I like the open door policy that many of the staff and faculty have.

Q. Other thoughts?
A. I'd like to thank my parents for their emotional and financial support, if it weren't for them I don't think I would have been able to make it this far.