We are excited to introduce you to Mr. Calvin Lee, who joins the Senior Leadership Team as our new Director of IT and Risk Management at SJS. We sat down with Mr. Lee to learn about his background and what he’s looking forward to this year.
Welcome to SJS Mr. Lee. Could you start by telling us a bit more about your background and education journey?
Well, I grew up in Richmond after coming to Canada from Hong Kong at the age of six. I completed my Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology, at UBC. When I graduated I took a job at Apple as part of the retail team, and I worked there for ten years. It was a great learning opportunity and helped lead to my role as IT Specialist at York House School (YHS), where I was later promoted to IT Manager. Now, I’m excited to start this new chapter at SJS.
When did the focus on IT as a career begin?
I wasn’t planning on a career in IT, but when I started working for Apple I became really curious into how and why computers worked. It taught me a lot about all aspects of technology, from the functionality to servicing to customer support. I started building my own computers to really understand them and that really solidified the direction I wanted to take in my career
From there, working at YHS introduced me to IT in an education environment, which is very different from corporate or retail. It actually inspired me to go back to school and I’m currently working on my Master’s of Education Technology.
What do you think is a core skill of a successful IT professional?
Active listening, for sure. It’s the foundation of my philosophy when it comes to IT support. It’s really important to understand the full picture of a person’s wants and needs to make sure I don’t miss any critical points before finding the best solution possible. And the great thing about working in IT in education is the connections you get to create with people. The value of that face-to-face support is really important. It builds genuine relationships with the people you’re supporting.
What advice would you give to students who might be considering an IT career in the future?
The most important thing is to be curious. I know that’s vague, but it helps navigate through the many different areas of technology you can jump into. For example, if you think about an iPhone, most of us know that you swipe up to open it, right? But why is it swipe up and not left or right? There’s a specific reason for that. Maybe that interests you, or maybe you’re more interested in how to make the swipe actually work. Being curious enough to ask the how and the why is a great way to get started and find the path that’s right for you.
What are your first impressions of SJS?
When I was considering the position I did a lot of research and talked to people who had previously worked here. Time and time again everyone spoke highly of the community, and I’ve already experienced that in my first two weeks here. Everyone’s genuine, friendly and has welcomed me with open arms. I’m excited to get to know the faculty and the students and support them however I can.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I’m a big sports fan, especially basketball and I really enjoy both watching and playing recreationally. I look forward to cheering on SJS at all the different sports throughout the year. Aside from that I’m really into running. I find it very therapeutic, and I’ll be running my fifth marathon in Sydney, Australia in August. I also have my two-year old rescue dog named Bailey who I love hanging out with and going for walks.
Welcome Mr. Lee! We look forward to starting this new year with you.
