Aidan Thoma's Awesome Website

About Me

I'm a Computer Science student at Drake University with a focus on Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Information Systems. I am currently working as an Infrastructure Support Specialist at Drake while maintaining a 3.7 GPA.

I enjoy learning how networking and systems function through hands-on work, including managing a self-hosted Proxmox environment and contributing to cyber defense challenges. My focus includes networking, cloud services, system administration, and security operations.

Education

Drake University

📍 Des Moines, IA 📅 Projected Graduation: May 2027 📊 GPA: 3.7

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science

Minor in Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Information Systems

Relevant Coursework: Object Oriented Programming, Cyber Security, Data Structures, Network and Database Management, Machine Learning

Experience

Infrastructure Support Specialist

🏢 Drake University 📅 June 2025 - Present 📍 Des Moines, IA

Provide technical support across both systems and networking teams, resolving tickets related to hardware, software, and network connectivity while ensuring minimal downtime for end users.
Contribute to infrastructure projects involving Azure cloud services, Cisco network services, scripting, and network troubleshooting to enhance system performance and efficiency.

Network Engineer Associate

🏢 Heartland Business Systems 📅 May - August 2026 📍 Des Moines, IA

Managed enterprise wireless and switching infrastructure for multiple consulting clients using Aruba Central, supporting networks with 30,000+ connected clients.
Configured and provisioned switches and access points, handling both physical installation and cloud-based management through Aruba Central.
Used the Aruba API to pull network data for monitoring, reporting, and troubleshooting across client environments.

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

Python
PowerShell
SQL
Java
C/C++
MIPS Assembly
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

Tools & Technologies

Git & GitHub
Azure Cloud Services
AWS
Proxmox
Cloudflare
Aruba Central
Firewalls & Network Monitoring
Microsoft Entra ID & Intune

Core Competencies

Networking & Infrastructure
Cybersecurity
System Administration
Cloud Computing
Technical Support
Microsoft Office Specialist Excel Associate

Projects

Home Lab Virtualization Server

June 2025 - Present

Repurposed legacy hardware into a Proxmox-based virtualization environment. Designed a custom subnet with Pi-hole, firewall rules, and multiple VMs and containers while implementing role-based access controls.

Cyber Security Club / ICEAGE CDC/CTF

December 2024 - Present

Represented Drake University in the ICEAGE CDC/CTF, performing system hardening, service availability monitoring, and incident response. Earned 2nd place in the Community College division.

Aidan Thoma