Network Engineer
Stephen is a Network Engineer at ABS who joined the team in 2009. He is currently attending George Mason University to obtain his Bachelor of Science with an anticipated graduation in 2014.
Stephen is a Cisco Networking Academy alumnus from the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) located in Virginia Beach. He currently holds several certifications including the prestigious Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE #36243) in routing and switching as well as the Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP). Stephen passed the CCIE at the age of 21, making him one of the youngest in the world to ever achieve the certification. As a network engineer he is responsible for pre-sales, design, configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting and maintaining infrastructure network devices specializing in the support of routers and switches alongside various Cisco product suites (security, voice, wireless and data center technologies).
Stephen is also an active alumnus volunteer and mentor for the students at the Advanced Technology Center, Cisco Networking Academy in Virginia Beach,. As well as a Cisco Networking Academy instructor at George Mason University, which acts as the Academy Support Center (ASC) that oversees the development and support for all networking academies across the state of Virginia.
When not preparing his coursework for his undergraduate or working, Stephen enjoys movies, music, spending times with family and friends, being outdoors, hanging out at the beach and traveling.
Describe yourself in three words.
Organized, ambitious, bizarre
Mac or PC?
PC (this is an IT consulting firm, let’s get real)
On Saturday where can we find you?
As it stands, studying! As a full-time student and pursuing the prestigious CCIE there isn’t much time to slack off.
Most recent traveling experience.
I was offered a full paid trip to Scotland by Realtime Worlds Ltd. after working with them for four years on an independent community fan-site for their upcoming game “All Points Bulletin.” I happen to do all of this while in high school with basically zero funding – I enjoy bragging about this.
Favorite food?
I eat EVERYTHING and FAST, you will often see me out-eating every employee in the office at Five Guys. But I have good tastes; I really enjoy hole-in-the-wall places something authentic and fresh.
Favorite quote?
“Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.”
“Everybody is ambitious. The question is whether he is ambitious to be or ambitious to do.”
Favorite book?
I’d rather watch a movie; books are a waste of time.
Favorite musical artist?
Rock, Acoustic: Counting Crows, Kansas, Number One Gun, Taking Back Sunday, Rise Against, Anberlin, The Offspring, Journey, Lostprophets, Mae, Saosin, etc.
Can you sing?
Every employee at ABS absolutely loves my singing ability – ask them.
Why do you like most about working at ABS?
Management, I will never work for a company in which the management and I don’t see eye-to-eye. That is not the case at ABS and I think that it’s a byproduct of having a smaller company; they take care of you like family.