Many people at WCM may not realize they already know Celeste Bergman, the smiling face that greets you whenever you visit the SMARTDesk. Known for her IT knowledge and resourcefulness, Celeste has seen many a person at the SMARTDesk, panicked over their devices not working, only for them to walk away relieved that she was able to help. Learn more about Celeste and her six years at WCM as one of our desktop support technicians.
How would you describe what you do in ITS?
My role here is providing IT services for clients. At first, I would travel from one location to another, troubleshooting and connecting computers to the network. Now that I’m stationary [at the SMARTDesk], it’s more handheld devices – laptops, phones, iPads – that we’re working with. I also maintain all the computers in the library.
If you had to ballpark it, how many people do you see at the SMARTDesk in a day?
Let’s see… yesterday we had 77 people come in; divide that by four since we have three other techs at the desk. So, I probably see around 20 people in a day. It varies.
Wow, that’s a lot! And that’s average?
Yeah, there are days we can get more, but that’s pretty normal.
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I love my job. I love being there in person, face-to-face, for people to be able to ask me questions and for me to guide them. I don’t want to be behind a desk all day and not be able to interact with anyone. I love when I fix someone’s issue and they say, “Oh my God! That’s amazing!”
I imagine a lot of people may come to you a little frazzled, maybe upset, over a computer issue, and you’re like, “I got this!”
[laughs] Not all the time. Sometimes, you have to dig deep and figure it out, but it’s nice when people are happy. You know, some people come by and they’re really upset, or they’ll say, “I have a deadline and my computer won’t work!” or “Excel won’t open!” and you have to find a way to help. Some people even say, “I just want to throw this computer!” and I have to say, “Whoa, don’t do that! You’ll have to buy another one!”
When you’re able to figure out someone’s issue, do you find you end up becoming their go-to person?
Yes! It happens a lot. A lot, a lot! [laughs] I could probably give you a list of users! Sometimes they’ll email me, “Are you available?” and I’ll say, “If I’m not, there are other techs here.” They usually respond, “I’ll just sign in… so you know I’m here.”
That’s kind of nice! They trust you.
Yeah. I actually have people who still request me for desktop support at their office. They’ll say, “She did this before, and we want her to come back and do it again.” I can’t do that anymore, but it’s still nice to know they appreciated my work.
Who are some women you admire?
Rosa Parks, because she had enough – you know, I’m not going to get up today. She stood up for herself without showing any fear. But the person I admire most is my mom. She's strong. I can't really say word for word why [laughs], but she's resilient. She doesn't allow anyone to put her down, she has an incredible backbone, and she’s always been independent.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Watch movies. I love to get together with family and friends, because once you work, it’s hard to do stuff like that. I go to a lot of sporting events – football, baseball, basketball games.
Why do you do what you do?
One thing that I enjoy about working here is the opportunities that Cornell gives. I’ve definitely learned a lot being here, and it’s a pleasure dealing with people at WCM. I had a woman come in recently who said, “You always fix what’s wrong with my computer, and I appreciate you.” Seeing someone smile at the end of a visit makes me feel good.