Below is a reflection essay from my internship/job course CYSE 369. I worked as an IT Helpdesk Technician at Southwest Virginia Community College for two years, starting in August of 2023. During this time, I also completed my Associate’s degree there before coming to Old Dominion University. Some of my duties there were to assist faculty, staff, and students with their technical problems, set up/dispose of technical equipment according to government standards, and maintain the labs across campus. The IT department here was small, so I was able to learn about the managerial, networking, and security positions as well. One aspect of this job that was challenging for me was the human factor, such as finding the right questions to ask someone over the phone to get to the root of their problem. With enough practice you develop the communication skills required to assist people of all technical competency levels. I consider my position here invaluable because of the connections I made and how much my technical, communication, and networking knowledge improved. I was able to see and assist a team that ensures thousands of students have the resources and technical knowledge to further their education. This experience helped me understand what an institution in this digital age needs to survive and the processes at work. Being able to help students from the poverty-stricken area I grew up in made it all the better. Ultimately, this job taught me that this discipline requires constant learning and that my future career goals are within my grasp.
Ethan Lawson
Reflection Paper 3
06/17/2025
ODU Summer 2025, CRN 35529
Professor Teresa Duvall
Southwest Virginia Community College
Internship Reflection Paper 3
Third 50 hours
The third 50 hours of this internship have given me a new appreciation for the large variety of technology needed to keep an organization such as this running. The different forms of technology being used together, some in unison, remind me of the invisible hand economic theory. This theory is about how people and companies that act in their own self-interest create a natural market efficiency. The companies that provide Southwest Virginia Community College with internet access, phone service, applications, etc., all do so in their own self-interest. It is a miracle that all these pieces, and more, are working continuously to ensure our institution remains in operation. Some technology that we use here daily includes VPNs, email client/server, print servers, virtual machines, PXE server, printers, scanners, networked phones, and Quick Assist.
Some of the most significant things I have learned are incorporating concepts such as reliability, accountability, and adaptability into my job. Working in the information technology department means that everyone depends on you to fix their technical problems. This can be daunting if you have never had a job of this sort. Also, Southwest Virginia Community College is relatively small. This makes it crucial to ensure that I provide support in a reliable manner. If I were to ignore a call or someone’s email, word would quickly get back to my manager. In my previous essay, I wrote about the ticket system that our IT department uses to keep track of jobs. However, sometimes people just call or email us directly instead. Communication with my manager and other helpdesk technicians is needed regularly to ensure that tasks have been completed and for accountability purposes. I’ll always ask around to see who completed what job to make sure it’s done, and so I have an answer if my manager asks.
In addition to work, I have gained personal growth and confidence, learned how to learn from observation, and how to balance efficiency with other aspects of the job. When I first started here, I was heavily dependent on my manager and coworkers while I got a grasp of my duties. As I gained familiarity with common issues that arise here on campus and over the phone, I gained confidence to solve them alone. This growth and confidence helped me feel like an asset to this department instead of a burden. Instead of going to solve an issue with my manager, I can now do them alone almost every time. This helps free up some of his time, which makes our department as a whole more efficient. However, there are some issues, such as clearing a port that I can’t fix, but can be solved quickly with a call. When I am met with a new issue, I have learned to pay close attention to the steps used to remediate it so I can do so the next time without assistance. Efficiency is very important in this profession to keep things running smoothly. However, it is important to remember not to rush things and set aside time to establish professional relationships with others in the workplace.
Just as the invisible hand guides markets through individual contributions, this internship has revealed how countless moving parts, technical and human, work together to create something greater. Like how the invisible hand relies on individual contributions for market efficiency, the success of our department relies on each person fulfilling their role while remaining flexible and supportive of one another. I’ve come to realize not only the technical systems that keep an institution running, but also human collaboration and individual responsibility. From gaining familiarity with common technical issues and growing confidence in my role, I’ve learned that adaptability, reliability, and communication are just as essential as technical skills. Overall, completing the third 50 hours of this internship has given me a deeper understanding of both the visible and invisible systems that keep an organization functioning smoothly. The meaning behind my contributions supports the larger coordinated effort that helps Southwest Virginia Community College connect and run smoothly. Some learning objectives I have met in the third fifty hours are strengthening professional communication and documentation practices, and participating in routine IT operations and system upgrades.