Past

I have had an interest in computers and technology for as long as I can remember. My first related memory is of a toy Superman laptop that I loved as a kid. From there, I started teaching myself Python at age 11, and followed that up with Ruby.

Throughout high school, I continued to develop my skills. I took all of the available computer science classes, learning basic computer science principles and Android app developement with Java. I was also in a technology support internship class for 3 semesters (during which I helped teach new students as one of the two lead interns), interned with my school district IT department one summer helping prepare for the upcoming school year, and interned at a local building technologies company as an Intern Controls Automation Project Engineer for a semester.

After graduating in the top 5% of my class, I decided to take a gap year before college, and moved 500 miles to Nashville, TN (I took the above photo there with my drone.) with my girlfriend. I started studying computer science at Vanderbilt University a year later, where I learned C++ and concepts like discrete structures. However, I decided to take a leave of absence after two months to begin pursuing apprenticeships.

From there, I began a 15-month apprenticeship at ConvergeOne through Multiverse, which consisted of as 12-week bootcamp focusing on Full-Stack Software Engineering, where I learned and resfreshed skills with JavaScript, React, Next.js, Node, HTML, and CSS. Following bootcamp, I spent 12 months working as an apprentice at ConvergeOne.

Present

Currently, I am a Software Developer II at ConvergeOne working to build full-stack internal tools, such as for quoting and reporting. On the job, I frequently implement new features, refresh old components, and fix bugs. My biggest project so far has been creating a full-stack reporting system, enabling internal end-users to create dynamic reports using various filters and fields.

I've also had the chance to continue developing soft skills by communicating with cross-functional teammates, attending daily scrum meetings, and working with other developers to implement new features. I've also had a tremendous opportunity for learning. Working on a small team, especially starting as an apprentice, has allowed me to learn new skills and refine old ones in a multitude of areas, including deployment, PHP and frameworks like CodeIgniter, SQL, and jQuery.

Currently, I'm living in the Nashville area, which I recently moved back to with my girlfriend, Juniper, our cats, Sage and Oliver, and our dog, Poppy. I've been enjoying going to tech meet-ups in the city, helping Juniper establish her own cottage goods bakery, and hanging out with friends at our apartment pool.

Future

In the future, I hope to lead a small team of people, while also continuing to write code myself. I enjoy the work and can get lost in it at times, and I know that I would never want to give that up to manage people. This role would also allow me to help others learn, which I enjoy doing almost as much as I enjoy coding. I hope to be able to get to this position in a quicker fashion than most, because I believe I have very strong skills and am excited to be able to showcase them in the coming years.

Ideally, this would be in an environment that will force me to keep learning new skills and technologies, in a way that keeps me motivated. I love being able to see the product of my work, so I hope to work on something consumer-facing.

In terms of more personal goals, I am hoping to buy my first house in the Nashville area once my current lease is up. I've also been considering a move to Austin, TX to experience a new city and potentially get my degree.