Alum parlays IT degree into an award-winning business

The 2008 Commerce Lexington Minority Business of the Year goes to . . . TCG America! Sullivan University’s very own Tina Williams, a graduate of the IT program, is very proud of this accomplishment; she and two of her colleagues are the owners of this amazing business!

TCG America was founded in May 2006 as Tina Williams, Marcus Simpson, and Jeff Thompson sought to carve out their own niche in Lexington’s technology industry. TCG America is an accomplishment of which she is immeasurably proud. “We started this business from the ground up. Granted there was a lot of praying in the beginning, but the business is strong now,” Tina stated. “Every day is different;” she said, adding, “that it’s not unusual to be on the phone by 8 am and have upwards of 100 emails everyday.“ One nice perk; Tina can “remote in” to almost all of her customers, meaning that she can solve their particular IT issues from her office. But, she also notes, “The IT world can be a lonely one – no one ever calls just to chat. When customers call, something is wrong.” Tina credits Sullivan University with giving her the tools in her IT toolbox to be an excellent troubleshooter. She notes that classes are very good at preparing you for the real world, as you can always get your hands on a piece of equipment and learn by doing. Adding to the fact that instructors really do care and making time to have one-on-one interaction solidified her solid IT experience. Additionally, Tina would recommend that all students “take in all they can and try to get real world experience at the same time while you’re in school.”

Tina still enjoys being active at Sullivan University as an alum. In the past, she has held special seminars at Sullivan, brought the CISCO truck for students to tour, and is an active member of the Computer Science/IT Advisory Board.