It was a stroke of bad luck that brought him to Orange, but it
was the opportunities at Lamar State College-Orange that kept him
here. Computer science student and 2012 LSC-O graduate, Joseph
Catano, has had job opportunities lining up around the block for him
since he graduated with his associates degree in information
technology support specialist. However, he is currently balancing a
full-time job and a full class load while he works towards his
second degree in computer science.

In the spring of
2010 Catano transferred to LSC-O from Texas Tech University when his
scholarship went bankrupt and he could no longer afford to stay in
Lubbock. While he originally planned to only earn his ITSS degree,
he was talked into also simultaneously working toward his
associate’s degree in computer science. The change of pace from
Texas Tech was glaringly obvious from the get-go to Catano, who
claims that the attention given to him by his professors is why he
is where he is now.

Taking both online and on-campus
classes, he says while the material he was learning at Tech was the
same level of difficulty here at LSC-O, it was the professors’ want
to help that made it seem easier.

“I remember walking into my first
chemistry class at Texas Tech, which was a class of 300 students,”
said Catano. “The teachers didn’t take roll, they didn’t know your
name, and they definitely didn’t have any motive to want to help
you. But at LSCO, that was all different, and I immediately noticed
the teachers wanted to help, and my grades improved because of it.”

Among his favorite classes were the
CCNA classes where he got to work hands-on with the Cisco routers,
as well as the programming classes. Catano is currently developing
apps for Microsoft to use in their new app store for Windows 8,
utilizing the skills he learned in Julie Jinks’ programming classes.
In 2011, he says he was very close to getting picked over for an
internship working with the Department of Defense, but because his
favorite professor brought it to his attention, he was given that
opportunity.

“The internship was brought to my
attention by Mrs. Dotson,” said Catano. “She also contacted Little
Cypress-Mauriceville High School and set up an appointment with the
technology director for me to do another internship. In those
internships, I learned valuable skills that a class simply can’t
offer. I learned a little bit more about not only computers, but
communication as well.”

At the end of his internship with
LC-M, the school asked Catano if he would be interested in coming
back for the summer to work, which he accepted and worked at until
December. During that time, Dotson pushed Catano to join the campus
chapter of the Association of Information Technology Professionals.
He joined and quickly took office as the vice president for the
2011-2012 school year. In the spring semester that year, a group of
students from AITP traveled to San Antonio for the annual AITP
convention.

“There I got to sit in on different
seminars by IBM and Microsoft,” he said. “While we were there I also
got to take certification exams for free and compete in competitions
based around different technologies and programs.”

Dotson says it was his initiative to
take the Microsoft Technology Associate exams that spring, and his
ability to pass several of them, that has made him a successful
student.

“He was very active in our AITP
chapter, leading as both vice president and president when needed,”
said Dotson. “I also had him in several classes and during that
time, it was evident to me that he was an exceptional student and
had the drive to succeed. Not only did he succeed academically, but
he was also a team leader in group projects in the classroom.”

After graduating with his ITSS degree
in spring 2012, he began applying for jobs in his field all over the
area. Within a few days, he started receiving calls from potential
employers. With his decision to keep attending LSC-O to work toward
a second degree, he had to find a company that was willing to work
around his class schedule. Eventually, he got a call from LC-M High
School again, asking if he was interested in working part-time for
the summer.

“I jumped on it, and as the summer
started dwindling down, they told me I could stay longer if I
wanted, so I did,” said Catano. “At this point I was working 32
hours per week at Wal-Mart, 20 hours per week at LC-M, and taking a
class load of 14 hours at LSCO. That was a schedule I had to
carefully balance.”

Eventually, Catano decided to apply
for a help desk position at Baptist Hospitals of Southeast Texas and
was hired on. Still there now, he gives help desk support to
Beaumont Baptist, Orange Baptist, and Yoakum Community Hospitals.
Yoakum is a hospital 232 miles away and Catano says it surprises people
when he can fix their printers from his desk in Orange.

“I know for a fact that the degree was
what got me this job,” he said. “That and maybe the speech class I
took which helped me interview well. But yes, the ITSS degree has
helped my career significantly.”

For the past two semesters, Catano has
been working toward his associate’s degree in computer science, with
which he plans to turn into a bachelor’s degree by taking “mostly”
online classes at Lamar University in the fall. Ultimately, he would
like to be a network engineer or director for a hospital in Dallas.
Since working at Baptist, he says he’s decided he enjoys working in
the health side of technology, a job that is extremely secure.

“I have no doubt that Joseph will
succeed in whatever job he holds,” said Dotson. “He is very
knowledgeable, has a great attitude and work ethic, and takes the
initiative to get the job done. I am proud to say that he is an IT
graduate of LSCO.”

“I know I may be on the bottom of the
chain right now, but I can only go up from here,” he said.