Youth Apprenticeship Progam

My name is Brian Weasner, and I am a part of Youth Apprenticeship through the Belleville High School. I heard about this program as junior and learned I could further my education in the field of computer science. I applied this year because I thought it would give me a great start in the working world of electronics.
After submitting my applications, I interviewed with different computer companies in the greater Madison area. I had the privilege of interviewing with Dell, American Family Insurance, Adecco, Envision IT LLC, UW-Madison Biochemistry IT, and a few others. I received a second interview with UW-Madison's Biochemistry IT team at the beginning of the summer, and was hired as a student computer technician. Although parking was not the greatest, as it was downtown Madison, the learning opportunities made it well worth it.
However, before the school year started, I was asked by Envision IT LLC if I wanted to work there. I knew that I would learn more about networking and servers if I worked there, so I decided to work with Envision IT. Since I started, I have learned how to manage and migrate the data that resides on different servers. I have also been doing some web development work, such as updating a website for a town in Wisconsin.
One of the most difficult parts of my job is not having any prior schooling on some subjects, so at the beginning I had a fairly steep learning curve. The thing that has helped me the most with my job is the calendar on my phone. I have learned how to balance my school, extracurricular activities, work, appointments, and free time by using the calendar that I can carry in my pocket.
Overall I am in love with Youth Apprenticeship and what it has done for me so far. I can say that without this program I would have never had the chance to intern with two phenomenal IT groups before college. I thank my school to work coordinator, Teresa Gartley, as well as my family for helping me follow my dream of becoming a stellar IT Professional. If you have any questions regarding the Youth Apprenticeship Program please contact Mrs. Teresa Gartley at (608) 424-1902 or gartleyt@belleville.k12.wi.us.