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Featured Student for January 2017

Featured Student for January 2017

February 1, 2017 in Featured Students / by Centriq Training

DEVIN KONKEL

Bio

“I am a Fort Hays State University alumnus, where I graduated with a degree in Communications with a Theatre emphasis, and a minor in Business Administration. While in school, I was in the customer service industry where I learned to balance my work/school life, communicate with customers, and provide them with detailed answers. After school I began working for Amazon, where I have been for the past three years. In that time I have worked my way up to Area Manager. There I learned how to communicate with other team leaders to ensure daily goals and deadlines were met. I also took the initiative to research and fix problems, bugs, or other common computer issues that occurred within the warehouse operating system. I’ve had a lot of fun in my current role, but I wanted to find something where I could advance my problem solving and technology skills.”

Q&A

Q: Why did you decide to come to Centriq?
A: Being the youngest in my family made me the default “Technology Guru”. I attempted to study networking in college, and was the night shift “Computer Fixer” at Amazon before an evening IT Administrator was hired. I heard about Centriq’s Application Developer program and it reminded me of my time learning HTML in high school and my current work with Excel functions. I always loved the feeling of getting everything to work just right. Computers and technology have always been in my life in one form or another, but it wasn’t until I bumped into Kimberly Bridges, Technology Career Specialist for Centriq Training, at four different career fairs that I thought I could give it a chance once more. I’ll say what everyone else says because it’s true: This was the best possible decision, and has already changed my life.

Q: What class has been your favorite so far?
A: It is currently a tie between C# and SQL. C# is the backbone of everything we do in the program. You never feel as powerful as when you tell the computer to do something with code written from scratch, and it works! With SQL, the ability to write queries and pull information out of a heap of data into a legible list shows amazing real world possibilities. I’ve always enjoyed fixing problems and there is an odd excitement when you’ve been plugging away for an hour on one road block and it suddenly works. Both languages offer the satisfactory challenge of really thinking about how to pull off an idea, get it to actually work, and finding just the right format to make it happen.

Q: What do you hope to do after Centriq?
A: After Centriq I would like to work for one of the many amazing companies in the area either developing applications, or managing databases. Over the course of my career, I would like to be in a position where I can pass on my knowledge to others, perhaps in a leadership position. There is no greater satisfaction than solving your own technical problems, but there are different kinds of fulfillment in helping someone else tackle their own issue and coming out victorious.

Q: What other interests do you have?
A: Everyone who walks through these doors has some sort of “Nerd Cred”, and we are always encouraged to embrace and share this side of us. My main source of nerd excitement these days comes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including all of the lore and history that goes into what has happened so far. I can spend hours going down a research rabbit hole exploring the origins of The Avengers, their founding members, their strangest members, worst and weirdest villains, etc. When movies are slow to release, my wife and I enjoy playing table top and card games about every chance we get. Among our friends, board games are the most given and received gifts for all occasions!

Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 23, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
Eve
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-V
Jan 30, 2023
May 5, 2023
Day
3/6/23-3/10/23
4/10/23-4/14/23
CSSP-V
Feb 6, 2023
May 19, 2023
Day
3/27/23-3/31/23
FSCP-V
Mar 20, 2023
Jun 23, 2023
Day
4/24/23-4/28/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
CSSP-V
Apr 10, 2023
Jul 28, 2023
Day
5/29/23-6/2/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
FSCP-V
Apr 24, 2023
Oct 19, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/21/23-8/25/23
CSSP-V
May 15, 2023
Dec 14, 2023
Eve
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Jun 5, 2023
Sep 8, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-V
Jun 19, 2023
Oct 6, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
9/4/23-9/8/23
FSCP-V
Jul 24, 2023
Jan 25, 2024
Eve
10/2/23-10/6/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Aug 14, 2023
Nov 17, 2023
Day
9/5/23-9/8/23
10/16/23-10/2/23
CSSP-V
Aug 28, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
Day
9/4/23-9/8/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
FSCP-V
Oct 2, 2023
Jan 5, 2024
Day
10/23/23-10/27/23
11/20/2023-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-V
Oct 30, 2023
May 2, 2024
Eve
11/20/23-11/23/23
3/4/23-3/7/23
CSSP-V
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our campus calendars.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Feb 13, 2023
Mar 19, 2023
Day
3/20/23-3/24/23
4/17/23-4/21/23
CSSP-I
Apr 17, 2023
Jul 21, 2023
Day
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-I
Jun 5, 2023
Sep 8, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-I
Jul 31, 2023
Nov 3, 2023
Day
9/4/23-9/8/23
10/2/23-10/6/23
CSSP-I
Sep 25, 2023
Dec 22, 2023
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
CSSP-I
Nov 27, 2023
Mar 1, 2024
Day
12/25/23-12/29/23
1/29/24-2/2/24
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
Start Date
End Date
Day/Eve
Break Weeks
Track
Jan 16, 2023
Apr 21, 2023
Day
2/2023-2/24/23
3/20/23-3/24/23
CSSP-I
Jan 23, 2023
Jul 27, 2023
Eve
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/22/23-5/26/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-I
Feb 27, 2023
Jun 2, 2023
Day
4/3/23-4/7/23
5/1/23-5/5/23
CSSP-I
Apr 10, 2023
Jul 14, 2023
Day
5/15/23-5/19/23
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-I
May 22, 2023
Aug 18, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
CSSP-I
Jun 26, 2023
Sep 29, 2023
Day
7/3/23-7/7/23
8/7/23-8/11/23
CSSP-I
Aug 7, 2023
Nov 10, 2023
Day
9/4/23-9/8/23
10/9/23-10/13/23
CSSP-I
Sep 11, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
Day
10/16/23-10/20/23
11/20/23-11/24/23
CSSP-I
Oct 23, 2023
Jan 26, 2024
Day
11/20/23-11/24/23
12/25/23-12/29/23
CSSP-I
Dec 4, 2023
Mar 8, 2024
Day
12/25/23-12/29/23
2/5/24-2/9/24
CSSP-I
If you don't see the Cohort Start date you are looking for don't forget to check out our online instructor-led calendar.
CSSP-I: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (In-Person Modality)
CSSP-V: Cloud & Security Specialist Program (Live Virtual Modality)
FSCP-I: Full Stack Coding Program (In-Person Modality)
FSCP-V: Full Stack Coding Program (Live Virtual Modality)
Please note that Centriq will be closed on the following observed holidays: New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day following Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.