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Employee Highlight > Employee Highlight: David Bright

David Bright

Application Developer

What is one random fact about you?

I taught myself Russian. In between finishing my bachelor’s degree and getting hired by Synergy, I needed something more mentally stimulating than the farm work of raising goats and chickens. I had always wanted to learn another language, and I had plenty of down time since my schoolwork was done. I picked Russian because I thought having to learn another alphabet would be an added challenge. I am by no means fluent, yet I am confident that I could stumble my way through some literature.

Do you have a motto or personal mantra?

“People of integrity expect to be believed. They also know time will prove them right and are willing to wait.” – Ann Landers

When I was younger, I conceptually understood the message, but I struggled to see how to live by it. I used to struggle with this motto when people would immediately shut down my best ideas, but now I have more patience and humility when people disagree with me.

What is your least favorite food?

For beverages, my least favorite is lapsang souchong. I find it to be too smokey. Not my cup of tea.

There is not a lot of food at which I will turn up my nose; however, olives make that list. I don’t know specifically what it is that turns me away. If I were to venture a guess, I think it would be the smell. Not appetizing at all.

What is an ability you wish you had?

I admire my brother’s ability to talk to anyone about anything. He can (and has) struck up deep conversations with strangers at places. It never ceases to amaze me how well he can listen and respond to other people’s stories, all while pulling from his own bank of experiences to find the most applicable one. I wish I had the ability to communicate like that.

How would you describe your dream vacation?

My idea of a dream vacation is ironic because I work in the tech field, but I would like to get away and unplug. I think a remote cabin in the mountains with a spring-fed lake, preferably just out of cell service range is the best way to unwind. I like to slow down, relax, and forget about work for a few days with family around the lake.

What have you gained from working at Synergy?

Working for Synergy has made me realize how much I care about the Coast Guard’s mission of helping people. Whether I’m helping someone through Team Foundation Server (TFS), making a script to make a coworker’s life easier, or taking out some manual step in a process, all the work we do is to help the Coast Guard help other people. That gives me pride in my career and adds significant value in my personal life.