Drake People – Travis Wright, Software Programmer

 For Travis Wright, life is a balance of work, family, faith and music. 

A native of Franklin, NC, he was home-schooled through high school, then attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study computer science.  In 2005, he married fellow student Lindsay and they moved to Denver, Colorado.  Though he had worked on and off for Drake Software beginning in 1998, in Quality Assurance and the call center, his first job after college was as manager of a furniture store. 

“I had to work every weekend,” he says, “but I got four days off each week to spend with my family.” 

He and Lindsay have been married for eight and a half years, and they have two children, ages five and three; a third child is due April 15.  In November of 2008, he returned to Franklin and took a position as a software developer.  He works on non-tax products that include Drake’s document manager, scanner support and scheduler. 

“It’s a good job, because it is very straightforward,” Wright says.  “Most of my work involves being responsive to customers.  It is a job of compiling comments and suggestions from users, and making those changes happen.  I’m a bit of an introvert, so I enjoy a job that lets me do positive things for our customers in the quiet of my own workspace.  That’s very satisfying.” 

When not on the job, he enjoys playing guitar, both for himself and as part of his church’s music ensemble.  He plays several times a week with that group, and every Sunday, because his faith is an important part of his life.  When he’s not making music, he spends time taking photographs or with his family. 

“We hike and play sports,” he says.  “My oldest son plays soccer, and I coach.” 

Family has been a part of his life from the beginning. 

“My parents had four children of their own, and then became foster parents.  They later began to adopt children and by the time I left for college there were nine brothers and sisters in my family.  That number is now more than sixteen.  They live across the street from me, in the house I grew up in, and we interact with all of them.  Many of them are in their teens now, adopted from China.  Lindsay also has a large extended family here in Franklin, so we see them as well.” 

If you met Travis Wright at Drake today, you’d recognize him by his shoulder length hair and beard. 

“During tax season, I do not shave and I let my hair grow,” he laughs.  “It helps to reflect the craziness that is tax season, and the stress of a busy time that we share with our customers.”