Hello there!

I’m Joel, and welcome to my website!

I like to think of myself as a simple guy, but life has had other plans for me!

I was raised by two deaf parents, which means American Sign Language (ASL) is my first language. I’ve been fluent in ASL for over 28 years, and growing up, I had to work a little harder in school, taking special reading and writing classes to keep up with my hearing peers.

In 2016, I enrolled in St. Paul College’s ASL Interpreting program. I was doing well, but life got in the way—work and school schedules didn’t align, and I couldn’t afford to quit my job, so I made the difficult decision to leave school.

After that, I worked in manufacturing for a few years until 2019, when my best friend introduced me to the world of PC building. Once I put my first computer together, I was hooked! It wasn’t long before I left my manufacturing job and enrolled in Summit Academy’s Cybersecurity program. Thanks to the support of my amazing girlfriend, I was able to pursue this new path—and it was clear to me that IT was where I was meant to be.

While in school, my high GPA allowed me to tutor my fellow students, and I graduated at the top of my class.

In 2022, I landed my first IT job as an NSOC Technician at Atomic Data, and that’s where my journey really took off. I was introduced to self-hosted servers and immediately started experimenting. I built my first server at home from spare parts, and I couldn’t stop learning!

Running servers, especially with Linux, wasn’t always easy. There were many challenges, especially when it came to software configurations. I spent weeks researching, troubleshooting, and testing, but I finally got everything up and running.

These days, I spend my time managing my Homelab and self-hosted server, working on certifications, studying, and helping others with their own IT journeys. I also dedicate time to running this site, continuing to grow my knowledge and share it with others.

Today, I’m working as a Data Center Technician, always learning and growing in the fast-paced world of IT, and continuing to fuel my passion for technology.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy your visit!