For Rohit Haryani, a second-year computer science graduate student, getting out of the classroom and getting involved with a completely different field is one of his favorite things about his job at the SRWC.

“That’s the best part about it,” said Rohit. “There’s no direct connection, so I get to learn new skills from two different fields all while on the same campus. Working here gives me an experience I don’t get anywhere else.”

As a facility maintenance technician, Rohit and the rest of the maintenance team are responsible for keeping the SRWC building up-and-running throughout the year.

“We maintain it, we polish it, we take care of it,” said Rohit. “That way, when members come into the building, they can have a pleasant experience because they know everything’s working right and nothing is broken.”

Once Rohit completed his undergraduate degree in India, he decided to make the leap and move to the United States to complete his master’s degree. He cites the tech industry in Silicon Valley as the reason he decided to move to the US.

“Being tech savvy, that’s the hop I had to make,” said Rohit. “If you’re interested in the tech industry, you’ve got to come here.”

While most of what he does in the classroom involves being behind a desk and writing code, the hands-on work his role at the SRWC requires, has Rohit work on a completely different set of skills, both technical and interpersonal, every time he clocks in for work.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect a building to require this much maintenance in order to run. I thought it was just, you know, you build the building, and if the light isn’t working you call the electrician,” said Rohit. “Now, I know there is so much more than that. And now, if something goes wrong, we’re the people you call!”

Rohit also loves working with the facility maintenance team. “It’s really interesting because all of the students are from different parts of India while our boss is Mexican American from Mexico,” said Rohit. “He gets to learn about our culture and we get to learn about his. Plus, he’s so fun to be around, and it’s always a great time working with him.”

Between the stellar team he works with and the new skills he gets to acquire on the job, Rohit understands what a unique position he’s in.

“What I love most about working for the SRWC is that I get to face new challenges every day,” said Rohit. “I get to learn things that the average person doesn’t know how to do, and I love it.”