My Story

I'm a problem solver who doesn't like leaving a problem unfinished. My path into software engineering, however, was anything but straight forward.... Growing up in Ada, Michigan, I didn't have a clear idea of what I wanted to do. I knew I was good at math, and I was obsessed with video games, but I had no idea where those interests would eventually lead me. Then, in high school, I discovered programming. I didn't think much of it at first, but when it came time for college, Computer Engineering seemed like a natural fit, logic, computers, and math all in one place, or so I thought. A couple of years into Computer Engineering, I realized that hardware wasn't where my interests were. I loved the coding side of things, so I made the switch to Computer Science. The beginner courses had made programming look relatively straightforward, but I quickly learned that software engineering was a different story. There were plenty of moments where I felt like I had been pushed off a ledge and into the deep end, trying to understand concepts that didn't make sense until much later. That challenge ultimately became part of what I loved about programming. There was something incredibly rewarding about struggling through a problem, finally understanding how it worked, and seeing that knowledge come together into something I had built myself, a working application, system, or solution that didn't exist before I created it. That feeling became a big part of what I loved about programming. I graduated from Grand Valley State University with a degree in Computer Science in April 2024 and began the "dreaded" job hunt that every recent graduate seems to struggle with. In July, I landed a position as a full time developer and server admin at Hymnary.org. The experience gave me a much clearer picture of how steep the learning curve in software engineering can be, while also teaching me some important lessons about work, growth, and myself. About a year later, I decided to step away from software and pursue another passion, pickleball. I joined Ace Pickleball Club, eventually becoming an Assistant General Manager. For roughly nine months, I found myself building a career around a hobby I loved while discovering that I was capable of leading, teaching, and building relationships in ways I hadn't expected. That experience also gave me the opportunity to explore another passion of mine: using my creativity and online presence to tell people about Jesus. I began pursuing Christian content creation, hoping to combine my faith with my desire to connect with and encourage others. After a couple of months, however, I experienced serious burnout and found myself at a point where I needed to step back and reconsider what I wanted my next chapter to look like. What I didn't realize was that I was about to find something I thought I had left behind. I rediscovered programming. After more than a year away from the development space, I had to relearn concepts I was sure I would never touch again. I started with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and slowly worked my way back into web development. As I did, something clicked. I began remembering why I enjoyed programming in the first place, not just because I could write code, but because software gives you the ability to create things that solve real problems. As a Christian, I've always enjoyed helping people and building relationships. My time away from software helped me realize that technology can be another way to do exactly that. Whether it's building a website for someone, teaching someone a new coding concept, solving a difficult problem, or helping someone find the right connection, software has much more to offer than I originally thought. Now, I'm pursuing a dream I once thought I had left behind, building useful software, helping others, continuing to grow, and seeing where this path takes me. If you've made it this far, thank you for taking the time to learn a little about me. I genuinely appreciate it, and whatever you're working toward, I hope you're able to find something that challenges you, gives you purpose, and makes you excited to keep going.