Seasonal Worker turned Software Developer

Here I've documented my last several years of travel, growth, and adventure. It's been a series of vastly different experiential chapters; each more rewarding than the last. I am so grateful for each opportunity, hard-earned lesson, and for the many lives lived.

I love a challange. And to cease to change is to die. I'm thrilled to participate in this industry where growth and change are not just a promise, but a guarantee. So here's to failing upwards.
Cheers to change. Cheers to Development.

The Lake

In 2021, I moved into a small shed on Lake Erie in order to change careers. It's beautiful enough to make you marvel, but isolated and without distraction. After completing Actualize Coding Bootcamp, a 4-month Chicago-based software development program, I was hired as a teaching assistant, for the following cohort. I was originally drawn to the program for its focus on education, and the next 3 months of TA work was likewise very fulfilling. Immediately following, I joined Sparkbox as one of three Full-Stack Apprentices for their 6-month program. Sparkbox, an intimately-sized ~50 person web design and development consultancy, works with ‘household-name’ type-clients. Picture an international retail parent company, big tech used by millions daily, and ivy league. While completing my own rigorous curriculum, I got to witness each of these projects develop and evolve first-hand. I ’ve been blessed to get to work with many wonderful people, who continue to teach me more and more every day. It’s been an amazing period of growth and transformation, reaffirming my passion for problem solving and community.

The Ice

In 2020 (through 2021), I headed to McMurdo Station, Antarctica for five months to live and work among its pandemic-adjusted-population of 340. Representing the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) at the southernmost tip of Ross Island, McMurdo Station serves as a vital support hub for South Pole Station and scientific research. Many have called McMurdo a "mining town on the moon" and it is truly a place like no other. Pictured- sunset on the ice in my Extreme Cold Weather "ECW" gear.

The Mountains

From 2019-2020, I moved to western Colorado and embraced a whole new way of life. After getting a job at Loveland Ski Area, I moved across the country to Georgetown, CO in the span of two weeks. I spent my days working in the ticket office, skiing, snowboarding, and slinging pizzas on the weekends. I met incredible people and fell in love with the mountain. I learned a lot about culture, values, and different ways to live. Pictured- snowboarding at Loveland with friends (second from right).

The Farm

In 2019, I served in AmeriCorps on an urban farm in Columbus, Ohio. Franklinton Farms is a series of gardens and greenhouses on ten different plots of residential land in the heart of the city. We put a daily focus on underpriviledged community access to healthy whole foods. I liked the farming, but I loved our family. I will be forever grateful for the many hard lessons learned and the literal labor of love. Pictured- our team with a large harvest of black raspberries.

The City

From 2017 to 2019, I became deeply involved in the business of people. In addition to my work as a Realtor, I spent my weekends attending real estate conferences and participating in investment groups. These ventures were unique, and not without pressure. Even so, I loved the grind and the challenge - crafting deals from nothing and putting my Psych degree to work negotiating like crazy. Pictured- the first house I ever sold.

Portfolio

Below are some projects I'd like to highlight. They were a joy to build. I hope you enjoy them too.

  • RRR App Live Demo

    Run Rabbit Run (RRR) App, my Bootcamp Capstone Project. Major life pursuits demand major pacing. Such as alternating chapters of respite/planning with adventure. This app is all about that planning, earnestly, with a dry humor that scoffs at the notion of taking life too seriously.

  • [RRR continued] Run Rabbit Run is a full-stack digital bucket list built with `Vue.js` and `Ruby on Rails`. Take your wildest dreams and break them down into small, actionable steps. Add, categorize, sort, and pursue anything you want to do before you "kick the bucket." Then, push your achievements to your "bucket," making it so full that you can't, and won't want to, kick it over. The bucket is full and so are you.

  • Apprenticeship Capstone

    The Team Availability App will be implemented for future use at Sparkbox upon completion. It'll be used to gauge how available different team members are in any given week. To be used primarily by project managers, this tool also includes details about each developer or designer. PMs can get info on skills, interests, and past projects in order to inform planning decisions. This app is still in progress, but the current deployment is availabile along with a in-browser editor on gitHub. This is a group project and is spearheaded by the three apprentices, utilizing agile web development through Jira every step of the way. Among the many tools used are `Next.js` and `SCSS`.

  • Sparkjoke

    A random joke generator API app built in vanilla Javascript by a team of three. As always, accessibility is a top focus along with agile development fuelled by daily Standups. I'm planning on deploying this shortly.

  • Gilded Rose

    Does it get any more classic classic than this? A hearty dive into Functional Programming.

  • Frontend | CSS

    Checkout my completed CSS adventure website, lovingly titled Rainforest Safari. This deployment is a complete documentation of teaching myself CSS from the ground up, completing a 20-part detailed program.

    Among my Codepen Projects is extensive iterations of an event card which focuses on accessible, mobile-first development, and an emphasis on semantic use of HTML. The card changes each time, but ultimately culmenates in use of SCSS, animations, svgs, Grid, and more. In my more recent Codepen exercises, I'm sure to use ITCSS for best practices.

Personal Interests

  • Stand-Up Comedy: My last set was in December at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. I love making people laugh, and tend to use humor to lift up my coworkers.

  • Healthy Living: I.e. putting frozen blueberries in a giant bowl and eating them like the giant tantalizing Dippin' Dots they are.

  • Hobbies: I also love to climb, walk everywhere, play video games, and get to a renaissance festival every chance I can.

    • Get In Touch

    Let's talk about your next project.