Meet the Trainer: Shawn Powers

Shawn "Super" Powers does his best Wolverine impression.

State: I live in the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula. In fact, if you look at your right hand, palm facing you, it is roughly the same shape as Michigan. I live near the tip of your middle finger.

Professional: Linux expert, CCNA

With CBT since: 2009

When I'm not making CBT Nuggets videos, you'll find me: usually at work. I'm the technology director for a K-12 school here in Michigan. Our school has roughly 50% Linux thin clients and 50% Macintosh workstations. It's my job to make sure they all work and play nicely together. (Note: As of August 2012, Shawn is now Assistant Director of Database Services at Cornerstone University.)

I'm also a writer and editor for Linux Journal. That basically means you'll find me in front of a computer monitor 90% of the time. The other 10% of the time I'm drinking tea or tweeting something silly on Twitter. Oh, and I sleep sometimes too.

Favorite Nugget: In the first LPIC-1 test series, there is a Nugget explaining IP subnetting. When I used to teach a CCNA class to high school students, that was always my favorite topic to teach. It was fun for that Nugget as well, because I could picture the "Aha!" moment my students would experience when they finally understood subnetting. (It's a confusing subject, but really cool when you get it.)

The best part about being a trainer is that I know the people watching really want to learn. That's not always the case with high school students, so when I know my audience is as excited about the subject matter as I am, it's hard not to love it!

I'm passionate about IT training because when I started in the IT industry, Linux and networking were mystical voodoo topics that only nerds understood. Granted I was one of those nerds, but now it's a thriving industry and computer classes are a dime a dozen at colleges. I like the CBT style training because it's nerds teaching nerds. The trainers aren't just people reading curriculum from a book, we're the nerds in the trenches. That sort of personal training is priceless, and something hard to find in a traditional classroom setting.

Watch the first video of "Linux in the Real World," Shawn's new user-directed series!

See all Shawn's videos here!