Raphael Genao, Class of '03
03/30/2010
Raphael Genao graduated from New Paltz in 2003 completing both a bachelors and masters in Computer Science. While at New Paltz he worked on the Help Desk and as a TA. Raphael tried to find work in the Hudson Valley but eventually moved to the southern US where he worked for Sun Trust Bank as a Business Analyst; fixing bugs and doing QA work for their on-line applications.
Raphael then...
Raphael now...
While living in Atlanta and because of his interest in networking he got his CCNA, MCSA, Network+, and A+ certifications. No one ever said that there wouldn't be more to learn once you leave college.
The Hudson Valley drew him back however and after a few years he came home to work for Time-Warner where problems that no one else can solve eventually escalate and end up on his desk. He is the last line of resort when no one else can resolve your connectivity and VOIP problems.
How different is working from study?
Do you mean the difference from College life and working? If so then the first major difference is personal freedom vs. personal responsibility. There are many policies, rules, guidelines I have to follow at my job. When I first was hired it was a bit relaxed but over time things have really tightened up. Even a cell phone on your desk can mean trouble. I learned that College was the time when you can do the things you wanted to do.
What were the most useful things New Paltz taught you?
New Paltz taught me about myself and a lot of useful life skills. It helped me find the right job and somewhere along the line I learned how to react well in difficult life situations. Working at the College and a couple of internships also helped prepare me for the real world.
What did New Paltz not teach you that you should have known?
The Computer Science program in New Paltz was mainly C++ when I took it, so there were many courses using that language. In my case, I would have liked more courses in Java and especially more in Networking. It could have been more diverse.
