Bio
How I Got Here
I made the decision to step away from a career in the service industry when I realized that I wasn’t learning anything anymore. I enjoy problem-solving, research, and the satisfaction of coming up with an idea and actually implementing it. Managing a café taught me a lot about people, communication, and responsibility, but I felt like I was stalling out.
I’ve always been fascinated with computers, software, and the way technology shapes our lives and experiences. That said, my first “project” that really convinced me that this was a career I wanted to pursue was just setting up a home server. I was familiar with high-level programming, but this was my first time having to work with something closer to the hardware itself. I worked through the ins-and-outs of network architecture, learned the basics of cybersecurity, spent a lot of time fixing my own mistakes, and finally wound up with a (sort of) fully functional webapp running out of my own basement.
Riding that high, I enrolled in Oregon State’s computer science program, while continuing to work full-time. It’s been hard, but enjoyable and worthwhile. I’m here because I want to learn, and I want to build, and I want to work together with people who feel the same.
What I Do
I care most about understanding how software actually works. I’m especially interested in networking, systems programming, and the more fundamental structures that make a computer work. I like to think about how data moves, how processs actually communicate, and how these layers come together to form a (ideally) seamless experience.
That said, I think that mindset can apply to everything from front-end web design to the lowest-level hardware-focused roles. I enjoy working anywhere I can build something clear, reliable, and useful, and I’m always excited to pick up new tools or explore new ideas.
My goal is to just keep learning and keep teaching. No matter what, there will always be a new approach to explore, or there will be way to dig deeper into what I already know. I try to be generous with my knowledge and experience, and take any opportunity I can find to be helpful and share something with someone else. Every task is a chance to grow or learn.
Beyond CS
Outside of engineering, I’m interested in stuff that brings people together. Music, movies, food, and books are all important to me.
I’ve played guitar in punk bands since I was a teenager, and though my eardrums have paid the price, I think there’s something really special and universal about the controlled chaos of a rock show.