Macon State College MVPs is a web feature that profiles notable students, alumni, faculty and staff.

High School: Homeschooled.

Family: Wife, Holly; brother, Pierce; father, Dennis; and mother, Debra.

Current Employment: Computer programmer/analyst in the network department at Georgia Farm Bureau.

Degree Objective: Bachelor of science in information technology, computer programming.

Graduated: May 2009.

Career Goals: “To further my career as a computer programmer / analyst at the Georgia Farm Bureau and to one day teach computer programming or work multi-nationally (U.S. & Japan).”

He chose Macon State College because ... “Convenience and the quality of the IT curriculum. I always knew that I wanted to work in IT, but I also had a desire to stay local. Macon State was the perfect fit.”

The one thing that surprised him about Macon State was ... “The flexibility of the IT curriculum. Although I was certain that I wanted to be a programmer, I liked the fact that the IT catalog left me a lot of room to dabble in other areas of interest (such as graphic design and networking).”

His favorite professor was ... “Liz Riley. Her programming courses were without a doubt the most beneficial classes that I have ever taken – they laid a foundation that was absolutely essential for my career. She also had a way of making class fun; although programming can definitely be very dry subject matter, I always looked forward to coming to her classes.”

His favorite place to study was ... “A home, curled up on the couch with a glass of wine. Unfortunately, it is this same proclivity that has lead to many impromptu naps.”

One thing people don't know about him is ... “Watashi wa nihongo o benkyoushite imasu (I am studying Japanese). I am a huge fan of anime, video games and Japanese culture in general. My wife and I have been attempting to learn the language for a while now, but it's difficult to find the time to study.”

His friends make fun of him because ... “I'm tremendously obsessive-compulsive. All of my clothes are organized by color, all of my CDs / DVDs are alphabetized, everything in the house has to be arranged at perfect right angles, etc. My friends used to test me by shifting a single item in the room very slightly from its original position just to see how long it would take me to notice.”

The one person he’d most like to meet is ... “Tough question. A ton of names went through my head: Hideaki Anno for his philosophical and emotional brilliance, Todd Lockwood for his breathtaking artistry, Chuck Palahniuk and George R. R. Martin for their gripping and visceral writing styles, Georges ‘Rush’ St. Pierre and Rich Franklin for their outstanding athleticism and drive. But, really, what could possibly be more life-changing than meeting Jesus Christ? At the very least, such a meeting could provide answers to a few of the world’s oldest theological questions.”

Five years from now he sees himself ... “Living happily in Macon. Despite my more adventurous aspirations, I would miss my family far too much if I were away for too long. They're the most important people in my life; wherever they are is home.”