Breanna Wilson

Richland County School District One is one of the largest and most progressive school districts in South Carolina. I was afforded the opportunity to have an internship with their Information Technology Division for the summer of 2005. Richland One’s Information Technology Division is responsible for working directly with all schools and administrative departments. The primary responsibility of the Information Technology department is to maintain, support, develop and foster the continuous integration of technology to promote student learning and administrative efficiencies. Information Technology, in consultation with its multiple constituencies, is responsible for the establishment of technical standards for hardware, software and the data portion of telecommunications.

My internship proved to be a valuable and rewarding learning experience with their approximate thirty staff member team. The IT staff made me feel welcome on the first day I started. Fortunately, some of the staff was not strangers to me. Prior to my position as an IT intern, I worked part-time in another division of Richland District One, therefore my learning environment became more comfortable. While working under the supervision of a Technician, I learned how to create a software image. The image was then used to setup and format other computers at various sites within the district. I also learned how to use the Heat Help Desk software in order to open and close work orders. Richland One Information Technology employs the Heat software to manage employee computer hardware, software and network related issues .

My skills and knowledge obtained in various university courses proved to be a tremendous aide in helping me with hands on experiences as an Intern with Richland One. It was valuable having prior knowledge and the ability to assemble certain parts of the computer, in addition to knowing where to insert different cords were helpful. Another thing that I learn in the classroom that helped me while I was doing my intern was creating or deleting user accounts. I was challenged to demonstrate my skills on deleting GroupWise e-mail accounts for users that were inactive within the district. Completing my internship with Richland County School District One was interesting, challenging and most of all rewarding. I felt it was a great opportunity to showcase my skills learned thus far and to prepare me for future experiences in the technology career. I believe the skills and experiences that I have gained from my internship will certainly help me along the way as I continue to pursue my goals and education.