The superficial stuff first:
Name: Michael Shepherd
Birth Place: Greensboro, North Carolina
Favorite Color: Blue
Zodiac Sign: Aries
Chinese Zodiac: Sheep (ironic being that my last name is Shepherd)
Favorite Food: Any thing with Peanut Butter
Favorite Book: The Alchemist
Political Views: Moderate
The Real Deal…So, who am I? I am a natively born North Carolinian raised by my Cuban mother and my American dad. People usually assume that I can speak Spanish, but because verbal memorization is a bit challenging for me, I have yet to achieve total fluency. On the other hand, things on the science side tend to stick really well with me. I drool at anything dealing with machines: fast sport cars, motorcycles, fighter jets, bicycles, computers or cameras. You name it and I’ll probably have an interest in it.
But I mainly spend a large part of my life working with computers. I grew up with a computer always in the house. First it was an Apple II computer, then a Commadore 128, and then the dominant Window platform IBM and so on. When I came to Elon University, everything changed. I was asked at my job interview if I wanted to work with both Mac and PC. To me it wasn’t a question at all, the more you know the more versatile you are. At least that was my motto.
Now, as the Apple Systems Engineer at Elon, my support covers Faculty/Staff machines, maintaining lab computers and a few academic Xserves. Apple has a small percentage at the university, but is used in one of the largest programs on campus. Working at Elon quenched my thirst for learning about Macs in every way. From the digital arts to the HD film editing, it is an ongoing and ever-changing world that I work in. But that’s one of the perks drawing me to technology – it’s always changing and never getting stale.
Growing up as a kid, I dabbled in so many things that I still continue today. Aviation and computers were the first two roads I traveled down until high school. After completing aviation ground school at a local community college, I went up a few times with some friends in small prop planes. Unfortunately, I never had enough $$ to get off the ground solo. After realizing how much funds I would need to actually achieve a private pilot license, I continued to get as close as I could to flying for free through computer simulators. The rest was history with my work career. It’s so much bliss having your hobby turn into a full time job. Sometimes I wonder when I will actually start my career.
What else do I do besides lame computer skills and a love of machines? Well, I love a bit of everything, hence my Web site motto. I love traveling to other places, specifically out of the country trips. I crave being out of my element, trying new foods and meeting new friends. And all unfold when going on unexpected trips. There’s a whole world out there. GO EXPLORE!!
Other things that take up my time include cooking. I learned much about Cuban foods when my grandmother was alive, so I love to prepare my favorite Cuban meal, Papas Rellenas, on occasion. Photography is my newest hobby. My dad was a professional photography and my sister went to the School of Journalism at Chapel Hill. But I didn’t have an interest in photography until this past year. Go figure. I also bicycle, play soccer and run. I’ve learned to enjoy both exercising and the wind in my face, which is a pretty good deal to me.
More later.