About Me
Hi, I’m Royce.
I’m an IT professional based in Metro Manila, building toward a career in systems administration and network engineering. My background is unconventional — a BS in Premed Physics from De La Salle University, three years of medical school at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila before stepping away, and five years of hands-on IT support work alongside my studies. The pivot to technology is recent and deliberate, and I’m focused on doing it well.
Where I Am Right Now
I’m ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) and actively studying for the Cisco CCNA, with the goal of moving into a NOC, sysadmin, or junior network engineering role. The work I enjoy most sits at the intersection of infrastructure and troubleshooting — figuring out why something isn’t working, fixing it cleanly, and writing it down so the next person doesn’t have to start from scratch.
What I’m Working On
- Active Directory & Identity Lab — Built a cross-platform lab using Windows Server 2022 and Debian Linux to practice enterprise authentication. Integrated Linux clients into an AD domain and worked through Kerberos and LDAP failure scenarios.
- Virtualization & Containers — Use VirtualBox and Docker to run lab environments, experiment with container deployment, and practice network isolation setups.
- Practical Security — Casual but consistent CTF practice on HackTheBox, with a focus on network enumeration, service exploitation, and packet analysis with Wireshark.
- CCNA Study — Working through routing, switching, and secure network architecture fundamentals.
My Daily Setup
- OS: Debian Linux as my daily driver
- Environment: i3wm and Zsh, configured to keep my hands on the keyboard
- Editor: VS Code for everything from config files to web work
- Notes: Obsidian for technical documentation and personal knowledge management
- Version Control: Git and GitHub
Background
Before the pivot, I spent five years as the on-call IT support for a small family-owned print business — the only person handling hardware, software, and network issues end-to-end. That work taught me what I actually like: methodical troubleshooting, clear documentation, and building systems that don’t break the same way twice. The medical school years gave me a different but related discipline — sustained focus under pressure, the habit of working through unfamiliar problems systematically, and a tolerance for long study cycles. Both shaped how I approach technical work today.
Outside Work
When I’m not in the terminal, you’ll find me on the guitar, chasing better espresso, or playing RPGs.
Let’s Connect
I’m open to conversations about homelab configurations, networking challenges, and opportunities in systems administration or network operations.
- Email: [email protected]
- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/rvmchua
- GitHub: github.rvmchua.com
