This summer, Luca Disbrow, a graduate in data science, joined Simpson Strong-Tie for an IT internship. Shifting from academics to on-the-job IT, he contributed to our 24/7 IT help desk and gained hands-on problem-solving experience. Luca reflects on the close-knit community within the company, his learnings from diverse colleagues, and the impact he’s made. Explore his journey to uncover insights into his internship experience.
![IT Interns attending the Quarterly Summer BBQ in Pleasanton](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IT-Interns-Home-Office-BBQ.jpg)
Hello! My name is Luca. For these past few months, I’ve been the IT Support Services intern here at the Simpson Strong-Tie Home Office in Pleasanton, CA. I graduated about a year ago and earned my Bachelor of Science in data science at the University of California, Santa Barbara. I first studied at Las Positas Community College in Livermore, California. There I earned associate degrees in computerstudies, mathematics, and physics. I then transferred to UCSB where I first studied applied mathematics and went on to study data science. I learned valuable skills in programming and problem-solving but was eager to get some hands-on experience.
![Luca working at the IT desk](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-7.jpg)
To be honest, I knew very little about Simpson Strong-Tie. A friend of mine had been working at the company for several years. He would constantly point out Simpson Strong-Tie products, and I would just stare at him and wonder what he was talking about. But as someone who likes computers, I jumped at the opportunity when he told me about an IT internship at the company. Finally, after hearing Simpson Strong-Tie as the name of a manufacturing company, I was astounded at my introduction into a community that was so passionate about their brand and industry.
![IT Department's West Coast Summit](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IT-Departments-West-Coast-Summit.jpg)
I was fortunate enough to start my internship right when the IT department was holding their West Coast summit. I got the chance to meet Support Techs from a variety of branches and learn their stories and what brought them to Simpson Strong-Tie. There’s a great dynamic throughout the department. Every group meeting felt like a team huddle where the members could joke around while still staying focused on the task at hand.
![Working at the IT Helpdesk](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Working-at-the-IT-Helpdesk-1.jpg)
This internship gave me the opportunity to use the skills I had built in school and at part-time jobs to help people in the real world. It put a face on the “end-user.” I gained hands-on experience solving software and hardware issues. Instead of the theoretical problems I faced in school, the solutions I found here directly helped people and made an impact on the business.
![Laptop hardware](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Laptop-hardware.jpg)
Coming from a data science background, many IT concepts were new to me, and jumping into this new field was a bit overwhelming at first, but my team was extremely patient with me and were always there when I had a question. Every member is a source of knowledge with a variety of expertise and experiences.
![IT gathering in Home Office](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IT-gathering-in-Home-Office-scaled.jpg)
The biggest surprise in working here was the community. Even though this is a company that is constantly expanding, working here felt like contributing to a small, local business. Everyone knows each other and can chat no matter their position. There’s a connection built here that is undeniable.
![Enjoying a fun game of ping pong with IT folks](https://blog.strongtie.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/MicrosoftTeams-image-8-scaled.jpg)
It was an amazing learning experience, and more importantly it was great getting to know the people here at Simpson Strong-Tie. My advice to future interns would be to have an open mind and be ready to ask questions — it’s the fastest way to learn. Simpson Strong-Tie is a very service-oriented company, and they taught me that IT can be one of the helping professions. I couldn’t have asked for a better career start!