Hello! I'm Noah Aragon, and I worked at iFixit from April 2022 to September 2024. I began my time here in the Kitting department, which focuses on assembly of our product kits which bundle parts with the tools necessary to complete a given fix.

In the time since, I have made many connections within the company and sought to bring my educational background into my work, which led me to my current role as an Advocacy PR Intern. The role allows me to use my research experience and ability to absorb information to dissect dizzying laws and regulations into a palatable format that helps to ensure that important discussions that are steeped in legalese can be accessible for even those with no tech background at all.

Edit 02/08/24

I began serving as an HR Coordinator since January and am thrilled to be able to help those dedicated to Right to Repair be the best version of themselves! I'm all in on R2R and will always fight to keep people first in the process.

I currently hold a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Cal Poly SLO. My concentration within the program was Pre-Law, which had me take courses that dove deeply into such topics as constitutional theory and jurisprudence in the US. My coursework beyond the program included a great deal from City and Regional Planning, ranging from basic elements of city planning to broader issues such as how we as communities can adapt and become resilient in the face of climate change.

While iFixit represents my first career exposure to tech, I had previously worked in warehousing during my time at Cal Poly, where I worked in the main warehouse used by the various on-campus food venues. In fact, food service had been the only industry I had sustained experience in prior to joining iFixit; the late and somewhat flexible hours many positions offered meant that I could work without much worry about whether my work schedule would create conflicts with my class schedule.

With that said, iFixit has been immensely helpful in building my knowledge base in all manners of tech. An example of something I'd never dreamed of is the fact that I am now certified by the FCC in the entry level "Technician" class for amateur radio use; while I don't plan on buying a radio setup anytime soon, the knowledge I gained as a result will no doubt help in my research down the line.

My favorite fix (so far) was relatively simple on paper and extremely messy in practice, and it sat on the back burner for far too long despite the ease. The product–a JBL Flip 3–only needed a new battery to be as good as new. However, this being during my high school days, I couldn’t bring myself to tell my parents about the need for a new part due to the associated costs… so I held onto the non-functional speaker for about seven years instead.

By the time I started here at iFixit, I was confident that the fix would be quick once I got over the fear of failure. The only difficulty was that the battery was caked in with much more adhesive than was necessary; a few minutes with a heat gun quickly remedied the issue, and the speaker now happily sits as an integral piece of my home workstation.

In my mind, it can often feel as though I have so many different ideas for what life can and should be that it can often be hard to act upon any of it. In these moments, however, I find that there are certain comforts that almost always stir me to action (which must certainly be my hobbies then!).

I have a passion for honing my cooking skills from my time in food service, and am constantly playing with recipes and techniques to find more effective methods to cook and re-create my favorite dishes. When I would rather experience the fruits of someone else's creativity, I frequently turn to video games, a sort of forever-companion of mine that helps to widen my horizons whenever I feel stuck as well as ground me with a familiarity that feels like home.