Raine Johnson

A Better World Through Technology

Raine is clearly someone who lives and breathes technology. He works for Microsoft as a tester, going through items that are offered in the Microsoft store to make sure they meet quality standards and he compiles a report if they don’t. In his free time, for fun, he’s created a 3D audio visualizer in which floral patterns react to music, pulsating and changing in response to the beat. He says his passion for all things tech began when his father introduced him to World of Warcraft and he fell in love with video games.

Raine’s goal in life is to contribute to the world through technology in big or small ways. His recent experience with education in the online environment via Zoom, in the thick of the pandemic, makes him optimistic about how technology can help us out during the worst of times. He also appreciates how technology can be used to bring levity, recalling viral videos by Michael Reeves in which Reeves writes code that makes a Roomba swear when it bumps into things, or makes a toy baby shoot laser beams from its eyes. Raine lives and breathes technology, but he admits it’s also good for a laugh!

Raine is especially interested in technology’s ability to connect people. He is inspired by the way Elon Musk sent shipments of internet kits to Ukraine shortly after the Russian invasion to enable the population to keep communicating. He has fond memories of his computer programming class at Cascadia with Professor Mike Panitz because he was given a similar opportunity to connect with his classmates and share his knowledge with them. When Raine asked Professor Panitz, for permission to miss a class since he had to travel for work, Panitz not only gave him permission, he asked Raine to talk to the rest of the class about his work experiences. Raine talked to the students about how he got work at Bose and another job at Microsoft in accessibility testing, not because of his knowhow, but to acknowledge Raine’s passion for innovative technology and his willingness to put in the extra time and effort required to apply for the jobs. He counseled students to apply for the many internships and scholarships available at Cascadia.

Raine learned about scholarships available at Cascadia when his mom sent him a packet containing a lot of information and resources about financial aid. He is a recipient of the xxx scholarship from the Cascadia College Foundation – and is is very glad that he applied and relieved that his efforts were successful. Without the money, it would have taken him much longer to get a degree. He would not have been able to take classes back-to-back and would have had to take some quarters off. Like many of Raine’s fellow students, he might have had to take jobs in retail to raise the money and that would have meant spending time on work that didn’t relate to his career goals.

Raine Johnson

A Better World Through Technology

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