Many students at De Soto High School have various different activities that occupy their time outside of piles of homework, such as sports, Science Olympiad or Student Council. For senior Quaid Tucker, his free time consists of building computers from scratch. 

So far, Tucker has built four computers from the ground up and has also repaired and upgraded three others. It may seem like a monumental task, but for Tucker, practice has made him quite efficient. 

“The assembly process is actually pretty easy once you get the hang of things. Unless you are overclocking, there is very little software set up, and the actual building part is very much like expensive legos,” Tucker explained. 

The process of building has become much more efficient over time for Tucker, usually taking place all at once. 

“At first, a build would take me around two and a half hours, but now I’d say it it takes around 80 minutes depending on the complexity of the parts that I’m working with,” Tucker explained. “Typically, I’d want to buy all of the parts for a computer at the same time, but depending on the budget they can be spaced over a period of time.” 

While Tucker does build computers for his own enjoyment, he also shares them with family, friends and even the community. 

“The computers I build have typically been for myself, friends or family, and a few have been for a job internship I used to have, but I’m always happy to build more. At the end of the lifespan of the computers I had built for myself, I typically restore them to the factory settings to make sure they’re in working order and donate them to people who either don’t have a computer or need a better one,” Tucker said. 

Besides just building computers, Tucker also shares his knowledge and uses them beyond their basic purposes. 

“Quaid actually has a YouTube channel where he posted a video of him building a computer. He likes to build computers that can run his VR [Virtual Reality] set, and he has a whole room that is completely dedicated to gaming,” senior Lucas Beggs said. 

Tucker also applies his knowledge of computers to his classes and activities at DHS . 

“I am involved in every tech class you can think of. I was one of the first students in AP Computer Science, and I’m currently a student tech here at De Soto,” Tucker explained. 

Outside of technology activities, Tucker has also been involved in band throughout his entire high school career. 

“Quaid and I are in band together, and he always finds a way to make it a little more interesting than normal,” Beggs said.