INE Welcomes New Microsoft Instructor, Tracy Wallace!

INE is thrilled to welcome our newest, full-time instructor, Tracy Wallace.

Tracy brings over 20 years of experience with Microsoft Technology to the INE community. He is certified as an Azure Solutions Architect Expert and Azure Administrator Associate, as well as in MCSE Cloud Platform & Infrastructure, MCSD App Builder, MCT, and MCSA: SQL Server. As an instructor for INE, Tracy is developing a variety of Microsoft courses that will help others earn their certifications and utilize technology beyond the basics. His Azure training classes will provide students with clarity and opportunity, allowing them to advance their own careers and expand their personal ideas and visions.

Tracy stumbled upon his career in technology by accident, after working as an Economic Consultant. Realizing that his favorite thing to do within any job was to work with computers, Tracy decided to follow his passion and hasn’t looked back since. He maintains the same enthusiasm he had when he first began his career as an instructor. Each course is a new chance to connect with others and impart information. Tracy embraces the ripple effect of that process, excited to watch knowledge shared with a student, be built upon to create something new that benefits everyone. “I’m proud to help,” he says, “and happy to have the chance to keep up with technology as it rapidly changes. It’s a gift watching former students accomplish their goals and then, in turn, learn from them as they contribute their own ideas to the technology field. It’s a privilege to provide that inspiration”.

As an instructor, Tracy finds his own inspiration in the work of scientists such as Albert Einstein, Bill Nye, and Neil DeGrasse Tyson. “They take what would otherwise be very complicated concepts, with regards to theories and science, and make them understandable. Their genius is in simplicity. They explain complex ideas in a way that doesn’t require you to be a genius to understand.”

That same focus on simplicity is a core part of his own teaching philosophy. If there is anything he wants all of his students to know, it’s that “none of this is really all that hard.” Change can be distracting and usually brings about fear rather than recognition of what is familiar. “We’re constantly getting new technology and there is always this ‘oh my’ moment when you think ‘this is completely new and I’ll never understand it’. But then you realize that all of it really ties to everything you already know.” With his new Microsoft courses, Tracy wants to help others understand that technology is accessible. Having confidence in what you know, makes each step forward easier.

When he’s not sharing his expertise with others, Tracy can be found hiking with his two children, enjoying a game of disc golf, and traveling with his wife. He’s also a fan of Game of Thrones, as well as The Foundation series.

“This might sound dark,” he says, as he ponders the best advice he’s ever received, “but one of the most important things I’ve learned is the idea that you don’t matter.” Don’t worry, he doesn’t mean that everyone should just give up. Rather, he’s focused on how we can always continue to move forward. “As an IT person, you’ll find yourself in situations where you think the world is ending. But it’s not and everything is going to be ok. There’s peace in knowing that you have room to fail. That means you also have room to learn and you always have another chance to get it right.”

Here at INE, we’re lucky to have Tracy as part of our team. There are great things ahead for all of us. Keep an eye out for his Microsoft Azure courses coming soon.

Welcome, Tracy!