About

My Journey into Web Development

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My first introduction to coding came in high school. I took classes in JavaScript and Visual Basic. I also taught myself HTML and CSS by building and designing the make-your-own websites (such as Angelfire, Xanga, and Geocities) that were popular at the time.

In college, I decided to focus on business and, after college, went to work in the fashion industry for eight years. Over that time, I saw the industry shift and change, becoming increasingly more focused on e-commerce and digital services. For two years, I ran the e-commerce website at the handbag company for which I worked. In the process, I had the opportunity to assist in a full site redesign. As I was working with the developers and recommending features, it dawned on me that I was much more interested in the work the developers were doing than the work I was doing. I wanted to be the developer. I had always enjoyed the problem-solving aspects of coding and working on the site redesign re-inspired that interest in me.

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Over the next few months, I took online courses in HTML, CSS, and Ruby. I realized that I was spending all of my free time working on code and thoroughly enjoying it! I reached out to people in my network and discussed options for pivoting my career into tech and it was suggested to me to look into coding bootcamps. After much research, I landed at the Flatiron School, an intense, immersive coding bootcamp. For three months, I worked harder than I have ever worked. We covered a tremendous amount of information including, but not limited to:

  • Ruby (Sinatra and Rails)
  • JavaScript/JQuery
  • Ember.js
  • HTML/CSS
  • SQL (SQLlite3, Postgresql)

My ‘aha!’ moment came when I realized that I was spending roughly 15 hours a day coding (in class, working on projects, etc.) and was so excited to come back do it all again the next day.

Upon graduating from Flatiron, I entered the workforce as a freelancer and Ruby/JavaScript/HTML/CSS tutor. In November 2016, I accepted a full-time position as a web developer at a creative agency. This position pivoted me once again into learning PHP/Codeigniter and WordPress development.

I am currently working for the University of Rochester, developing in PHP, WordPress and Drupal.

Freelance Clients

Hobbies and Interests

I've been a photography enthusiast since high school. I like to shoot landscapes, nature, and animals. I occasionally do portraits as well. I like exploring new photography techniques and subjects.

In June 2019, I bought a small watercolor starter kit on a whim. Since then, I've become an avid painter. Recently, I've started exploring illustration as well.

Travel

I love to travel and explore new places. I've lived in or visited 20 countries and 39 states. My goal is to visit all 50 states and every continent.

Hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities

I love to be outside in nature. I hike and bike frequently. I've run a number of outdoor and adventure races, including Spartan Races, Viking Race, and more road races than I can count!