As recent graduates prepare to head to college, they face many choices: blue sheets or white sheets? Flip-flops or adidas sandals for the shower? Scrap college altogether or turn down a six-figure salary?
Trinity freshman Alan Halachmi faced this final choice last year. Way too down-to-earth to fit the stereotype of a computer genius, Halachmi turned down a job offer with a reputable company in order to come to the University.
As Halachmi explains it, a funny thing happened on his way from Nashville to North Carolina. Having previously heard about the 18-year-old's prowess with computers, a Nashville-based company found itself with a very large surplus of money and wanted to delve into the commerce business-with his help.
"I was involved in some initial planning and during the planning time, some six figure numbers were mentioned several times," he said. "It was at the point that I had to decide: Am I coming to Duke? Or am I going to pursue this?"
When he received the unparalleled offer, Halachmi had already been working as Wide Area Network Specialist for Ingram Entertainment, the largest on-line distributor of video cassettes and other forms of entertainment. But the discussions with the proposing company, which Halachmi preferred not to name, made him think twice about continuing his work with Ingram from his dorm room.
Within two weeks, Halachmi had made his decision. Among other factors, his high school motto of "Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete" played a large part in his choice to come to the University.
As a gentleman, "I applied early to Duke. I got in early. Saying no [was] unfair to other people and to the school," he said.
As a scholar, Halachmi sees the offerings at Duke as "mind boggling. The expertise here in the field that I'm looking at is just phenomenal."
Halachmi cannot forget, however, the last part of his motto. As an athlete, Halachmi says he plans to join the Cameron Crazies en masse and support the basketball team.
"I'm only 18. I don't want to be stuck behind a desk. I want to come out to a beautiful campus and enjoy myself."
Once he arrived at the University, Halachmi learned that word travels fast. Having heard the information fourth-hand, Director of Undergraduate Admissions Christoph Guttentag not only surprised the Class of 2002, but the computer buff himself, by noting the then-nameless freshman stand-out at convocation.
"I had mentioned [the offer] to my parents. My mother was at my high school and mentioned it to a secretary, who was the wife of the guidance counselor, who mentioned it to Guttentag," Halachmi related, seeming more surprised about the attention than anyone else. "I had no clue that [Guttentag] knew about it. I found out after the fact. I couldn't figure out how he knew it was me."
With a seemingly endless list of impressive feats on his resume, the computer science major has a long history with computers-and with companies desiring the expertise he gained at an early age. And even before flirting with the notion of a six-figure salary, Halachmi was deep into the computer world and the businesses that encourage his talent.
Tasting technology for the first time in elementary school-albeit in an Apple II/e-dominated world-Halachmi did "basic programming, and I was like, 'Wow, this is cool!'"
Reaching Montgomery Bell Academy, an all-boys high school, he took issue with the school's lack of Internet status and proceeded to "do a majority of campus networking, [including] the administration of school servers and e-mail for 650 students."
Pursuing his computing knowledge, he interned with Telalink, a computer company in Nashville, and maintained their network.
Although Halachmi has a love for computers, he hardly fits the prevailing image of a "computer nerd."
Instead, he is an articulate, expressive individual, stressing that he does what normal freshmen do-whether it be playing ultimate frisbee, hanging out with friends, or catching up on sleep. Yet the beeper that rests on his waist is an indicator that there's a little bit more to him than that.
"The first time people [at professional companies] see me, their first reaction is 'You're 18, you don't know anything,'" Halachmi said. "You establish yourself through example, and actions speak louder than words."
Now that he is at college, Halachmi can continue his work for Ingram from a new base. Hired to design the network infrastructure and eventually bring up its twenty-four branches, whose locations range from Alaska to Tampa, Halachmi makes sure all configurations are set and troubleshoots on a national scale. Halachmi has access-through a server in his Basset dorm room-to a gateway connecting to the company's network, with privileges to get into the machinery and do his job through the Internet. "I'm very indebted to this company for a lot of opportunities. It's a fun thing to do," he says.
As a CPS major who hopes to mold telecommunications into his field, one would not guess upon first appearance that Halachmi was so well-versed in the field of computer technology. As a gentleman, scholar, and athlete, he just wants to be a normal guy. "I don't think it makes sense to come to college at the age of 35," he said.
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