Mr. Jo Akino, a graduate of the Class of 1998, recently embarked on a new chapter in
his life at St. Mary’s as a first-year staff member in the IT department. Mr. Akino joined the school in October, motivated by a unique opportunity—a vacant IT position at an educational setting, something he had long aspired to.
Prior to joining St. Mary’s, Mr. Akino worked for an IT firm for more than 20 years as an IT engineer with a focus on vending machine systems. Even though the technical part of his work was rewarding, Mr. Akino aspired for a position that required more interpersonal contact. He discovered the ideal balance at St. Mary’s: an opportunity to use his IT expertise while interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds. The most exciting aspect of Mr. Akino’s new position, in his opinion, is getting to know these many cultures and sharing anecdotes from his own childhood in order to promote deep relationships.
Nevertheless, he has faced difficulties adjusting to his new surroundings. Over the course of three to four months, Mr. Akino has had to handle a vast quantity of material, including faculty names and faces as well as technical data. Mr. Akino conducts his profession with passion in spite of these obstacles because he understands how crucial his position is in providing efficient technical support and communication.
