Just two years ago Hopewell native John Hogenmiller joined the small team at a then six-month-old Internet Service Provider in Bedford - Pennswoods.net - working in the company's tech support department. Today John is one of about 30 employees and is a network engineer, keeping the regional ISP's servers online and writing internal server-side programming. A Northern Bedford County High School graduate, John went through the Bedford County Tech Center's electronic's program, leaving the Tech Center with a strong, basic knowledge of electronics. "The Tech Center gave me a very good background and helps me troubleshoot technical programs. But I've also always played around with computers and I've taught myself a lot about programming and network administration that goes well beyond straight electronics."

While working full-time John is also a part-time student at Allegany College of Maryland's Cumberland Campus earning credits toward an Associate's degree. His work schedule makes combining school and work difficult. "I love the mental challenges that are presented to me everyday on the job, but the schedule can be very demanding, especially when we run into problems." He says the benefits far outweigh a few all-night sessions. "They've almost tripled the workforce since I started here," John says. "With a startup company they don't have a set way of doing things which allows us to be flexible in coming up with new solutions. Plus they allow our skills and responsibilities to grow with the company. It's a win-win for everyone."

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