When Shamarrez graduated from Summit Academy in 2022, he didn’t just leave the classroom–he stepped directly into a career. Today, Shamarrez works at Atomic Data in IT support and is steadily building toward his long-term goals of cloud engineering and entrepreneurship.
While Shamarrez has some previous experience in IT working with Genesys Works, he knew he’d need more structured training and a foot in the door to move toward the career he’d always dreamed of. “Getting into the IT field in general is extremely tough,” Shamarrez explains. “I felt like the service desk was a good starting point to get back into it.”
Shamarrez enrolled in Summit’s IT training, where he gained hands-on experience with tools like VMware and learned foundational skills to help him re-enter and continue growing in the IT industry. Through partnerships with companies like Atomic Data, Summit’s training gave Shamarrez direct access to a job opportunity that aligned with his new knowledge, skills, and interests.
At Atomic, Shamarrez starts each day with intention: checking ticket queues, monitoring client requests, and preparing for whatever the day may bring. It’s a fast-paced, problem-solving environment—exactly what Summit prepared him for. “[My role] is straight from Summit’s training. A lot of the technical stuff that we learned during Summit was crucial for this job,” he says.
He also credits both Summit and Atomic for reinforcing professional skills like communication, time management, and attention to detail. “Aside from the technical skill set Summit gave me, the professionalism was a good reminder to tap into. A lot of the jobs that I was working prior to going to Summit, I was in the background,” he shares. “There’s a lot more client exposure in this job. Even with how long I’ve been at the company, I’m recognizing more names, more faces. Keeping that level of professionalism is very important.”
Summit’s partnership with Atomic Data gave Shamarrez more than just an IT career pathway. It gave him direction, purpose, and momentum toward his future. “I want to get more of that engineering skill set,” he says. “I want to get my own Azure space, and I want to build a company and start it from the cloud and online. There’s a lot of stuff that is out there, and I’m trying to find the bits and pieces that can build into a much cooler, bigger piece for something that I’ve always kind of had plans for.”