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Arman Nikmorad never knows whether his workday will involve repairing a microphone, producing a School Board livestream or meeting a U.S. senator.

The 2022 McLean High School graduate is now a lead technician with Fairfax County Public Schools’ Department of Information Technology. He also supervises the internship program that helped launch his career while finishing his senior year at George Mason University.

Nikmorad’s interest in the field grew through McLean High School’s broadcast journalism program. As a student producer taking dual-enrollment classes, he watched district technicians repair the school’s television equipment and asked how he could help other schools.

He said years of broadcast experience taught him to approach people, conduct interviews without preparation and remain active under pressure. His curiosity led to a high school internship, which eventually became a full-time position offering benefits and assistance with college costs.

Nikmorad’s assignments can change by the hour. Some mornings begin with a tightly maneuvered 14-foot van and an 8 a.m. drive through Fairfax County traffic. Later, he may work inside the production truck used to broadcast School Board meetings to thousands of families.

Nikmorad calls the truck the “crib.” From inside, he and other technology engineers oversee camera colors, audio levels and communication systems. Their responsibilities include ensuring remote participants can be heard through Zoom and helping families access Spanish and American Sign Language interpretations.

His work in schools is equally varied. He meets with staff to plan television studios and podcast rooms, climbs into equipment cabinets to diagnose crackling microphones and teaches students how to operate cameras and edit video. He has also trained students to use robotic camera systems.

The job has brought opportunities far beyond equipment rooms and broadcast trucks. While supporting district events, Nikmorad has met NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, an astronaut, the Fairfax County police chief and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.

Nikmorad said Superintendent Michelle Reid has become a mentor and helped him develop a professional network. She also monitors his academic progress and reminds him that school must remain his top priority.

That balance appears to be working. Nikmorad has maintained a 3.92 grade-point average and is set to graduate summa cum laude from George Mason in spring 2026.

He also credits the school system’s emphasis on developing talent internally, along with guidance from a technology engineer named Phil who taught him the job.

Despite his growing responsibilities, one connection to McLean High School remains lighthearted. Nikmorad once told a small lie about leaving campus for lunch, prompting his former principal to joke that he could return only if he brought a hot fudge sundae.

Now, when Nikmorad visits the school where his career began, he still brings the sundae.