Over the past three years, Benilde-St. Margaret’s has gotten to know and love the staff members on the tech team. This year, two official additions to the help desk might look more familiar. 2012 graduate Josh Paquette and current senior Anders Lykkehoy, the two youngest members of the help desk team, have been taken on to help with everyday problems that we students and staff face with their laptops.
The way Paquette came to the position as a Benilde-St. Margaret’s employee was accidental. “It happened by accident really. A few days before Red Knight Roundup my family and I got the acceptable use policy for our laptops in the mail and we didn’t agree on a lot of the things in there. So we scheduled a meeting with Steve Pohlen and when we got here, they needed help with setting up the laptops for the upcoming year so I nonchalantly helped out,” Paquette said.
Lykkehoy has worked in the help desk for the past two years. “I came from Wayzata High School, and when I was attending the open house, I was talking to Steve Pohlen and he told me that there was always an opportunity to help out,” Lykkehoy said.
“I definitely enjoy the help desk because I can figure out solutions to people’s tech problems and I also enjoy having a group of people I can talk to that are interested in technology stuff,” Lykkehoy said.
Paquette volunteered for two years, helping the teaching staff and students, while still keeping up with his school work. Paquette’s daily schedule as an employee doesn’t differ much from when he was a student at BSM. Now, he not only helps others with their tech problems but also helps with testing software and new technology, and gives valuable input on the future of technology at BSM. “We are in a sense the guinea pigs of the technological things here,” Paquette said.
Lykkehoy volunteers in the help desk before school and during his wellness hour almost every day. Lykkehoy enjoys the job of working at the help desk, and the close relationships he has built. “Everybody in the help desk gets along pretty well. I really enjoy my job and helping kids out with printing and calculator applications,” Lykkehoy said.
Paquette decided to continue learn about his passion for computers by taking information technology courses through a service called BenchMark Learning. “I am taking classes to certify myself in IT by taking a course called computer technology information association (Comp TIA) and Certification A Plus,” Paquette said.
Although unsure of what he will do after getting his certifications, Paquette expects to be working at BSM for a long time. “I could see myself working at BSM for my whole life, I definitely enjoy my job,” Paquette said.
