By Dorian Martin ’06

As much as she enjoys working with technology, Ariane Ray sees her role with Texas A&M University Division of Student Affairs’ Information Technology primarily as one of fostering relationships. 

As the department’s end user support specialist III, Ray focuses on creating personal connection even when the technology seems to be crashing all around. “Maybe one day your computer doesn't work and you happen to cross my path. If you're lucky I can fix it and while I'm doing that, I hope I can learn a little something about you and what you do and maybe even make you smile,” she said. “Helping other people be successful and have them feel good about the experience they had with me is, hands down, what I love the most.”

Learning to “Be There”

Born in Denton, Texas, Ray spent her formative years in Alabama and Georgia, where she was greatly influenced by her eighth-grade science teacher. “He taught me that it’s important to be sincere, respectful, and, most importantly, in the moment,” she said. “He probably didn't coin the phrase but he's who I credit with the saying, ‘Wherever you are, be there. Be all there.’”

Initially wanted to be an actress, Ray attended a performing arts magnet high school. “Alas, I wasn’t very good,” she said. “But some of that acting training has really come in handy in my job. Imparting confidence to the customer is key most of the time. Sometimes that confidence is lacking so you gotta ‘fake it till you make it.’”

After high school, she needed a change of scenery, so she moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1997 and briefly enrolled at Tarrant County College. Ray also landed a job in tech support. “When I got into it, it paid rent and put gas in my car,” she said. “I liked to tinker with computers but it wasn’t really a field I intentionally went into. Then I realized I was pretty good at fixing things and solving problems and I really enjoyed helping people.”

She spent the next nine years working at National TechTeam offering tech support and UT Southwestern Moncrief Cancer Center as a systems analyst. She learned to embrace rapid technological changes and try to help users do the same. “Technology is constantly changing and it’s great because you’re constantly learning new things,” Ray said. “But sometimes change is overwhelming, particularly when you’re trying to impart that change to customers.”

Finding a Home

Ray moved to Bryan/College Station in 2006. “I was still married at the time, and we moved to both get out of the city for a bit and to be closer to my then-husband’s family, who lives in the area,” she said. “I never really thought I’d be here this long, but I love the area.”

Logically, Ray looked to the area’s largest employer, Texas A&M, to find a job—and landed a role in DSA. “I definitely lucked into Student Affairs as I didn’t really know much of anything about the university,” she said, laughingly adding that she’s learned to love the university. “I didn't know what I was getting into. Why are y'all like this?? But don't stop, y'all are all adorable!”

Ray’s work offers a wide range of opportunities to assist DSA staff and student workers with technology “I help support the endpoint technology devices in the division, which includes everything from provisioning user accounts to configuring and troubleshooting hardware and software,” Ray said. “I also help coordinate the purchasing of client devices for every department.”

She especially cherishes her interactions with student workers. “The most important job I have is being a mentor to our student technicians,” she said. “Many of these students will not have a career in IT. I want them to walk away from their job here with valuable transferable skills, like critical thinking, communication and soft skills, problem-solving, and most importantly, learning that it's ok to fail.”

Another lesson that Ray tries to convey is the importance of stepping away from technology on a regular basis--something she does on a regular basis. “Nature inspires me. Watching things grow and finding symbiosis in the world around me is an endless source of amazement,” said the avid birdwatcher and gardener, who also enjoys puzzles, reading, history and science.

With the pending Texas A&M reorganization, Ray realizes her position may transition out of DSA—and she will miss working for the department. “This is an amazing collection of people from a bunch of different career and personal backgrounds, all doing a wide variety of tasks and jobs to achieve the common goal of enriching the well-being of the students,” she said. “The dedication some of these individuals have is simply incredible, as is their passion for their jobs and the students they serve.”