Anthony Nganga is the junior systems administrator for The New England Center for Children’s (NECC)’s Information Services. He was nominated by a colleague because he was “patient and persistent in helping to resolve an IT issue that resulted in all my work going missing. He stayed calm through more than an hour of stressful attempts to solve the problem and I really appreciate his tenacity and professionalism throughout the process. NECC and the Information Services department are fortunate to have him!”
How long have you worked for NECC?
It’s exactly one year since I joined NECC, and it has been my best career year thus far.
What are your duties as a systems administrator?
My job is to ensure that our students are getting the optimal care they need by meeting all NECC staff’s technological needs. These needs include information security monitoring, IT systems implementation, upgrades, performance monitoring, and change management. I also lead the desktop support team; it is fun interacting with them as we learn from each other.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I have lots of fun responding to security incidents, but I hardly ever get the chance because of our systems’ tight security. I also enjoy collaborating with my team and working on projects that positively impact the lives of our students like technology infrastructure upgrades and improvements.
What is something about you that your colleagues might be surprised to learn?
I sang a cappella at weddings in Kenya before becoming a professional wedding photographer in the Greater Boston area. I have since retired from photography, but I volunteer taking pictures when there’s a need like at NECC’s Field Day and other events in the community.
When and why did you come to the US from Kenya?
In 2010, the U.S. Department of State sponsored me for a Young Entrepreneurs Program (YEP) at the University of Connecticut, which fostered an understanding of cross-culture business practices and emerging models of creative democracy.
How and why did you get into the IT field after photography?
I find anything that challenges my thought process to be quite intriguing, and IT is one of those given its ever-changing dynamics. Photography was a hobby that turned into a side business, but I needed a career that would allow me to enjoy photography as a hobby again. I enrolled at Southern New Hampshire University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with a concentration in Cybersecurity.
Who is someone you look up to?
I look up to God, always. All my achievements in life are answered prayers. I also have a very supportive family, for which I thank God.
What is your life philosophy or motto you like to live by?
I live by a three B’s mantra; Believe, Begin, Become. These all go together, and missing one B in life can be catastrophic. Once I set my eyes on a target, only God can stop me.
I also like Napoleon Hill’s story of Derby and his uncle who quit mining three feet to find gold after being overtaken by temporary defeat. I use that as a reference point for not quitting. In the absence of hope, there should always be a desire to succeed.