?Published in May to commemorate Workers' Day, our annual #dayinthelife series spotlights our staff at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU). This year, we highlight professional administrative support services staff who make a tangible difference in students' lives.
As a technical support specialist at ICT Student Services, Riyaad Parker ensures that students get the IT support they need to succeed – whether that is solving hardware issues in computer labs, helping them access online learning tools, or making sure new systems are rolled out behind the scenes.
What does your role at SU entail?
I am responsible for ensuring the seamless operation of systems within ICT Student Services. That includes supporting effective customer service, refining service standards, and maintaining consistent business processes – from the moment a service request comes in up until its resolution. I also help ensure these processes evolve with our students' needs and keep up with the best industry practices.
What does a typical day at work look like?
No two days are the same, which is part of what I enjoy most. A big part of my day is encouraging teamwork and creating learning opportunities through mentoring and on-the-job training. I assist new staff in adjusting to our systems and processes and often liaise with stakeholders and key employees.
My responsibilities range from providing maintenance and support for computer systems and hardware to installing, configuring, and updating both hardware and software. I also help manage and improve our desktop systems and support pages.
Much of my time is spent troubleshooting issues, writing technical reports, maintaining service-level agreements, running security checks, and ensuring our IT Service Management processes align with ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) standards. I also assist with implementing new applications or operating systems and contribute to broader projects aimed at keeping ICT Student Services ahead of the tech curve.
How did your education or past experiences prepare you for this job?
My passion for IT started early. I was five when my mother brought home our first PC – an IBM running MS-DOS. I couldn't help myself and took it apart out of curiosity!
My academic journey has taken a few turns – from studying BSc Computer Science, then LLB (which I still plan to complete), to qualifying as a Cisco Networking Specialist. My hands-on experience managing seasonal retail staff and later taking responsibility for an entire primary school's network – growing it from 40 to 200 working PCs using only donated equipment I repaired myself – laid a solid foundation for what I do today.
What do you enjoy most about your role and working at SU?
The constant challenges keep me engaged – every day brings something new to solve. I especially enjoy working with students and colleagues in the uniquely academic and collaborative atmosphere of Stellenbosch 肆客足球. The town itself, with its natural beauty and energy, adds to the appeal.
Tell us something exciting about yourself that few people would expect.
I am really into car detailing – I love restoring or enhancing vehicles to make them look as good as new. It's my way of relaxing and unwinding. In my younger days, I used to modify cars and race at Killarney, and I've even done the odd bungee jump. I'd call myself a bit of an adventurer – I love discovering new places, cultures, and experiences.
