Ryker Zak

Ryker Zak | IT Intern: System Administrator & Development | NEW Digital Alliance

From Greenville, Wisconsin, Ryker Zak is a sophomore at Hortonville High School. His career in technology started out as a Beta Tester for Apple, with a focus on OS technologies and patching in July of 2020. Ryker’s responsibilities were related to patching and quality control. He has had the opportunity to work with iOS 14 – 15, iPadOS 14 – 15, WatchOS 7, and macOS Big Sur – Monterey. He is passionate about engineering, philanthropy, and education. Ryker enjoys traveling across the United States, especially to Florida, New York, and California. In addition, he enjoys photography, model rocketry, spending time with his dog, Gizmo, and of course – technology!

Recently, Ryker and his alliance team helped The Wisconsin Cyber Threat Response Alliance (WICTRA) build and launch the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (CCOE) – a cyber range at UW-Oshkosh that will allow private and public organizations to learn or sharpen their cyberwarfare skills on live targets. Ryker impressed WICTRA CEO Jerry Eastman with his passion for technology so much that Eastman surprised Ryker with a computer at the CCOE build, furnished with the latest cybersecurity technologies.

In 5 years, Ryker sees himself attending college for a degree in computer science or astronautical engineering, a branch of aerospace engineering focused on rocket science and spacecraft development. He hopes that during college, he will be able to participate in an internship or co-op program for Apple, SpaceX, or the federal government in operating system engineering, federal cyber crime law, or aerospace engineering. After college, Ryker intends to apply for a job in engineering.

“I love my job because I can help introduce students my age to IT, and show them that there is no limit to what you can do with technology! I love to know that this line of work is constantly changing, and arguably does not fully exist yet. This inspires me to work hard, stay creative, and dream big.”

Some of the things Ryker does at the NEW Digital Alliance are:

  • Network maintenance
  • Debugging
  • Data analysis
  • Search engine optimization
  • Planning and preparing NEW Connect IT
  • Back & frontend web development

 

Q: What are your skills, certifications, and software knowledge? 

I specialize in computer-aided design (Better known as “CAD”), C++, Java, Swift, Objective C, And HTML. In addition, I am fluent in written & spoken Spanish & English with an introductory level of sign language.

Q: What is the most rewarding aspect of working in technology?

I feel that it is rewarding to help shape the future for the generations to come. In my opinion, that is the best way to leave a mark on the world.

Q: What is one fun fact about you?

My favorite holiday is Halloween! For the past few years, I have been a ‘spook’ at numerous local haunted hayrides.