David Sun, CCIE #48879

Like Prometheus who gave fire to humanity, INE (though not Gods...some might argue the point...) has brought network engineering to the masses. The INE R&S workbooks, videos and mock labs helped me master the technologies/concepts I needed to pass the lab, and more importantly, excel at my job. Since I was young, I always appreciated the Internet and how it has fundamentally changed the way we interact with each other. Many of the modern conveniences we enjoy today (such as online shopping, cellular networks, video streaming...etc) is all thanks to the Internet. People don't often stop and think about what it takes to make these things work. They expect their wifi to 'just work'. They get mad when their video buffers. People leave when a website takes more than 5 seconds to load. There is a lot of thought that goes into designing and building scalable networks that are fast and efficient. I saw that and thought to myself, "I want to be a part of a team that helps deliver services like that". It was from that moment, that I decided to set down my networking engineering path. I started with INE from my CCNA days. I was a fresh baby faced college grad. Like many young grads, I had limited job experience. I never got into Cisco MSP, and for years I was bouncing from contract to contract (because I wasn't an elephant and wouldn't accept peanuts for wages). During these jobs, I was hungry for success and I seized every opportunity I had at my jobs to apply my knowledge in any practical way I could. All the while, I studied for 4 long years, developing broad Linux, Windows, and scripting skills along the way, while dedicating many evenings to achieve my goal of achieving a CCIE. The journey was tough on me emotionally. People would look at me and say, "Can this kid really do this job? He doesn't have 'x' years of experience'. It was tough not having a mentor to guide me, and it was tough not having people believe in your talents as well. Of course, thanks to my long nights with INE labs, I squashed those people's doubts in a DDoS attack, where I got a chance to show my understanding of BGP and earned my stripes. I continued along throughout the years and during those evenings, I really became intimately familiar with the meaning of 'burning midnight oil'. I had my moments of doubt along this way, and I would be lying if I said, I got the CCIE on my own. "Could I do it?". "Is it worth it?". "What if I fail? I would have spent all those years for nothing". In my moment of weakness, I wondered if all my hard work would pay off. Those nearest and dearest to me urged me on. I realized that day moving forward that we can't always be strong on our own, and I'm glad my family was there to support me in my moment of weakness. While they could not walk this journey for me, my family was by my side the whole way through. Undoubtedly, it was thanks to their support, and the great technical content from INE, that I was able to pass the R&S lab. There will many people who will doubt what you can do, but what's important is that you don't accept it for one moment. The CCIE is a very passable exam. People have elevated it to a godlike status, but at the end of the day it is just an exam. Work hard, master the fundamentals, and go out there and get your digits! I learned many things about myself through this journey. One of them is that while the R&S journey is over, the learning is not. I will continue to strive for technical excellence, and a life of learning. I truly believe the work that you guys at INE are doing has changed the world for the better. If anything, know that INE has changed my life. I would not have passed the exam without you guys. This chapter of my life is now closed, but a new one has opened. New opportunities are beyond the horizon, and I'm hopeful for what the future has in store for me. Thanks again INE! Keep doing what you guys do. You guys are awesome. -David Sun CCIE #48879