MCCC Support Systems Spell Success For Alum Gibson Zarkar
Story culled from The College Voice of Mercer County Community College
Gibson Zarkar ‘04 (A.S., Computer Systems and Networking Administration) is happiest when helping others. As a customer engineer at Agilysys Inc. Technology Solution Group in its Corporate IT Division, he zeros in on clients’ technical problems. Agilysys, a leading provider of IT solutions for corporate and public sector customers, uses technology to help its customers resolve their most complicated needs in the retail and hospitality industries.
Zarkar has mastered the ins and outs of a wide range of hardware and software operating systems. “I love troubleshooting,” said Zarkar, who joined Agilysys in 2007. “There are all sorts of fun challenges that make my job enjoyable every day. Mercer gave me the solid foundation that I needed to grow in the field.”
As the youngest of seven children from a remote village in Liberia, West Africa, Zarkar could not have imagined as a child that he would play a role in the world of technology. Working from the age of five as a farmhand, his fate changed when an older brother sent him to school in the capital city, Monrovia. He graduated from St. Christopher’s Catholic High School and emigrated to the United States in 2000, settling with relatives in Hamilton.
Fascinated with computers and how they operate, Zarkar enrolled at MCCC in 2001, immersing himself in myriad technology-related courses and gaining hands-on experience in network devices such as Cisco router configuration and LAN/WAN technologies.
He recalls frequent guidance from faculty, academic advisers, and other staff at Mercer. “Everyone, right up to the president, was accessible and approachable,” he said. On both campuses, he honed his leadership skills, serving as a senator in the Student Government Association and working in various offices. He earned Dean’s List and President’s List status, as well as several leadership awards.
After graduation, Zarkar transferred to DeVry University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Network and Communications Management in 2006. Certified as a Dell Systems Expert and Microsoft Systems Administrator, he gained a lot of job experience while in school, working as a technician for several major firms. Zarkar continued his education through the University of Phoenix Online Campus, earning an M.B.A. in Technology Management with honors this past May.
“I strongly encourage everyone to learn from each other and the world around them,” Zarkar said. “By doing so, you will also open doors for opportunity. Success in life depends on you, no matter where
