If you’ve ever had a tech problem on campus, chances are you know lab specialist Nico Garner. It’s his job to help people with their problems, a speciality that fosters an inspiring reputa- tion among faculty and students alike. He sat down with Et Cetera Editor in Chief Carmen Guzman to discuss the mark he’s left on others.

Q: How is your typical day of work?

A: It’s a lot of running around, so it’s not very often that I’m in one place for too long.

Q: I take it you have something new to do all the time?

A: Always. After this, I’m gonna go to Learning Commons and check their Macs. If I’m not there, I’m at Information Central.

Q: Does this job ever boring?

A: Absolutely not. I love the feeling of the impact that I will leave that day.

Q: Does that mindset carry out to your job?

A: I try to carry it. I go visit my different clubs and bring joy and laughter in their life—at the start of the day, it can carry out.

Q: What’s your overall outlook on life?

A: I base [my life] off positivity. When you live negatively, you bring it into your home … and then you get around people, they’ll start acting differently or they don’t want to hang around as much.

Q: By any chance, do you have any kids?

A: I had one, but he wasn’t my biological son. I raised him from when he was four until 15 when I divorced. When I left, I told him I would never change my number.

Q: Ideally, you’ve stuck with him?

A: He grew up living in baseball, and he found the love for baseball because of me. We bought him this gear to train … stuff like a little ball tethered to the tee. He gave it one good whack, and it came back: pop! Right in the berries. He said he never wanted to play again.

Q: Oh lord, but I bet he backtracked later, didn’t he?

A: In middle school, he asked if he could try out baseball again. I said sure, then it got iffy for him. It appeared that his head coach didn’t know anything about baseball. I asked him if he needed help: it’s like, ‘sure,’ so I ended up coaching his team. Now [my son] is having fun with it because I’m there.

Q: What happened next?

A: When I left, he was in eighth grade, midseason, and then after the divorce he ended up on [Poteet’s] baseball team for four years, MVP two years. He ended up getting a scholarship for baseball and now he’s going to Baylor.

Q: And that’s because of you, right?

A: And him, and him. It’s not just the love for baseball.

Q: How does that translate to being supportive?

A: My son, obviously, told me he wants to be like me. But I’m telling him no … I want to see you live a better life, I want to guide you and it’s the same aspect with the students, man. I try to encourage them so much to push themselves.