001My name is Austin Whittenbach. [music] I work here at Cedar Springs Public Schools and our technology department. So, I'm from [music] Beldings where I grew up and where I went to school. A smaller farm town. That's who I am and what I grew up with. Coming from a district [music] before I came to Cedar was a a large district. I didn't have a sense of community [music] as much in the district. Go to work, go home. When I interviewed at Cedar Springs, I just got a different feeling understanding that this [music] district involves the community and itself is a community. Uh we have four of us here on our technology team that support uh all of our buildings throughout the district. All of our students have [music] access to a device. And so what's fun
002about my role is a lot of my work and interaction [music] with students might be behind the scenes. And so it might be working more so with the teacher on getting those um students access. The main thing I love most about being in [music] K12 and in education is knowing and and hoping at least that I'm making an impact for um our up and cominging generations. [music] Cedar Springs students uh intern with our department over the summers and then that's carried into a work study during the school year. Personally for me, it's been really cool to be able to mentor those students. [music] Um, from the simple stuff like repairing Chromebooks, but also interacting with our staff and I'd say, "Hey, you want to come along with me?" And just kind of shadow and see
003what this experience is like. Hopefully making them a better employee down the road, but also [music] just a better individual as they get older in life. Here every day at work, people are not here just because it's a job. [music] People are here because they enjoy what they do and working together, which uh is what I enjoy as well. I'm Austin [music] Whittenbach and I'm a Red Hawk.