09/15/2026
Nice spotlight! And it all started with a Nintendo 64…
“As far back as I can remember, I enjoyed all things tech. I was given a clear Nintendo 64 and was fascinated by the circuitry I could see inside. As I grew older, my parents let me disassemble the spare computer tower so I could look at the different internal components and put it back together again. In college, I deeply enjoyed the mechanics of Redstone while playing Minecraft. After college, I began looking for a career, and I was exposed to the world of E-Scrap, where I was able to take scrap technology and attempt to repair it for resell. That repair work, while enjoyable, was lacking the personal interactions that I have come to enjoy while working with Information Technology at Springfield Public Schools.
As the district Audio-Visual Specialist, I design, implement and support the AV technology across the district. While this is A LOT of work and impacts all students districtwide, the biggest impact I make is interacting with staff. Knowing how to design a space, as well as finding the right AV technology to implement, hinges on what it is being used for. To better understand that, I get to talk to teachers, administrators and other district leaders to best understand what tools will serve SPS in the best capacity. Talking to people is the bulk of what I do at SPS.
Simply put, I enjoy what I do. I have worked in a manufacturing plant, food service, E-Scrap, as well as other places of employment. My role at SPS offers the physical work that I look forward to doing, the technical challenges to help me grow and the interactions with staff to help make work enjoyable.”
- Darrin Stine, SPS audio-visual specialist
