Michael Looker
Bio
Transitioning from Warfighter to Cyber Warrior
I retired after serving 20 years on active duty as a Chief Hospital Corpsman and spent 5 years as a commercial electrician. I have found my new purpose that has always been in the back of my mind. With the condition of the world today, I saw a window of opportunity to finally chase my passion. Within a few short months, I will complete my training and be looking for employment opportunities within the cyber world.
Q&A
Q: Why did you decide to come to Centriq?
A: I began looking for a program to avoid going back to school for multiple more years, and during the pandemic I would be able to do the hybrid model of virtual classroom and on-prem training. My VA Rep suggested either Centriq or St. Louis University. She gave the disclaimer that SLU was a self-paced program, and with me having minimal IT experience, I quickly chose Centriq.
Q: What class has been your favorite so far?
A: I came to Centriq to get a better understanding of Networking so with that being said, my favorite class to this point would have to be Net1 and Net2. It is so much information and the multiple hours of hands-on training is the number one reason I am here.
Q: What do you hope to do after Centriq?
A: Upon completion of the program, I plan to have the foundation Certifications and hopefully working in a junior networking engineer role if not a security role.
Q: What other hobbies and interests do you have?
A: Outdoors, I love being outdoors. I enjoy BBQ. I coach little kids’ soccer teams and, little-known fun fact, I have graduated from an actual Cowboy Academy. I enjoy horseback riding, cattle drives, and calf roping.