John Toe joins the Jesuit community as the main frontline IT in the Technology Information Center located in Upper Arrupe Hall. Mr. Toe has a range of experience in the department with past jobs in the South Korean military and teaching how to use a system that separates who was authorized on US military bases, as well as working in a Vancouver VA building to help veterans and families get help with education, housing, and other family health care benefits.

His main responsibility here at Jesuit is frontline IT. He can help anyone that comes in with a problem with iPads, Macbooks, or Windows.

“I help out with that. I’m also responsible for the printers and projectors, iPads, and MacBook that’s getting administered here,” Toe said.

Toe strives off of being able to help people and be a social worker with others. His job excites him because he can give advice or help a person do something which he is proud of.

He is also very family oriented, with an 8-month-old son, Max, and his fiancée, Alana. Throughout the past six years living here in the Pacific Northwest, he has met many different friends and people of the community that he considers family.

The best piece of advice that Toe has received is “knowledge is power.” He says that the more you can know, the more you can grow. Although it may seem corny, knowing this helped Toe become a dog handler in the military, finish college, and get a job here at Jesuit.

“There is a lot of truth to that.”

Full Interview Transcript (edited for length and content)

How long have you been in your field?
I’ve been in my field since 2012. My first IT job was in the military in the Air Force. We taught the South Korean military how to use a system called D bands, which is a military identification system. Lets us know who was authorized to be on US military bases and who’s not. And we trained up the South Korean Air Force on how to use that system. Look for any, how to look for faults, attacks. And as we enter and remove people from the system, just you know, simple user things. So yeah, that was about 2012, my first duty assignment in South Korea.

Where did you work prior to Jesuit?
Prior to Jesuit, I worked at the Vancouver VA building for about three years as a social worker, helping veterans and families get benefits from the VA process claims, get help with education, housing, and other family health care benefits as well.

What are your main responsibilities at Jesuit?
Main responsibilities at Jesuit are frontline IT. People come in for Level one kind of things. Ipad issues, Macbook issues, Windows issues. I help out with that. I’m also responsible for the printers and projectors, iPads, and MacBook that’s getting administered here.

What excites you about your work at Jesuit?
What excited me most about my work is being able to help people. Like I mentioned before, I’m a social worker, so I just enjoy helping people. Whether it’s social work, IT, giving advice, helping out with a project, anywhere I can help a person do something, I’m always down for that.

What is something the community should know about you?
I am very family oriented. Love my fiancee, Alana, love my son, Max. I got different friends that I consider family here in the community. I’ve been here for about six years, so I got a chance to meet some good people. And so I like to spend time with friends and family.

How old is your son?
Eight months. He’s eight months, December 23rd is his birthday, so Christmas baby.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Knowledge is power. The more you know, the more you can grow. Sometimes it seemed kind of corny, especially when I heard it, seemed pretty corny. But that kind of stuff helped me become a dog handler in the military. That kind of stuff helped me finish college. That kind of stuff helped me get a job here at Jesuit. So the knowledge is power. There is a lot of truth to that.