Karl Lindsey has spent nearly three years in Peckham’s IT department, first as an intern and more recently, as a team member. His work at Peckham, the Lansing-based nonprofit that creates job opportunities across manufacturing, contact centers, logistics, and other fields, includes handling everything from password resets and equipment installs to setting up new hires with the tools they need.
Before landing in IT, Karl spent a few months working in the organization’s Contact Center Solution’s line of business. He arrived with a computer networking degree from Lansing Community College and a clear preference for desk work over the path he had tried earlier. Following graduation, and with a need to pay the bills rather than feed his soul, Karl chose hazardous-material removal—asbestos work that paid well—but the physical and mental toll quickly outweighed the paycheck. A stretch of depression and anxiety pushed him to step away completely and start over.
Peckham felt different from the start. “I felt like I belong here,” Karl said. People were available if he needed to talk, and the everyday interactions with coworkers from every background kept him from feeling alone. That sense of connection still shapes how he approaches the job. When someone is frustrated or ready to give up on a tech problem, he focuses first on putting them at ease, answering questions, and teaching what he can so the same issue is less likely to return. He is a big believer in continuous learning, both because he knows technology never stands still, and he wants to be ready with solid answers when the inevitable question arises.
His technical background shows up in the hands-on side of the work. He can take a computer apart, pull hard drives for decommissioning, and put everything back together almost without looking. Outside the office the same curiosity continues. Karl builds with Raspberry Pis and 3D printers, runs a YouTube channel, and is currently assembling a desktop robot he named “Wekno” (short for “welcoming knowledge). He also experiments with converting computers’ OS from Windows to Linux. When stress creeps in, he turns to simple, familiar distractions—playing Mario the way he did as a kid—to clear his head.
The biggest steadying force in his life is his older sister. As the youngest of four, Karl leans on her regularly, and she keeps reminding him she is there. That support, combined with the people around him at work, helps him stay focused on what he can control.
Karl is clear about where he hopes to go next. He wants to keep growing inside Peckham’s IT team, maybe into a support role that lets him travel between locations and share what he has learned. “I’m here for the long run,” he says. In the meantime, he is content taking care of the smaller tasks so others can keep their eyes on larger projects, and he is glad to leave every interaction with the person feeling better than when they started.
Karl’s definition of work done well boils down to four key components: solve the problem in front of you, treat the person with patience, keep learning, and stay available. That approach has taken him from the call center floor to the IT desk, and with his enthusiasm for life and thirst for knowledge, may well take him to infinity and beyond.