My interest in software development started in high school when I took my first programming class. What immediately hooked me was the ability to bring ideas to life—the sheer power of writing code and watching something functional appear on the screen. Knowing that I could create something and have it make others' lives easier, more efficient, or more enjoyable at scale is what has made me so passionate about it.
Personally, I view programming as a craft, much like woodworking or pottery, where technical skill meets creativity to shape something meaningful that can serve a purpose. The difference is that software extends infinitely, since it's distributed digitally, and can be shared with anyone, anywhere, at any time. This opens up a world of possibilities for solving problems and enabling solutions that scale globally and impact people in ways few other crafts can. That tie-in with technology made it something I felt absolute passionate about from day one.
Beyond the creative and technical aspects, I'm also drawn specifically to how the field rewards learning through failures. Every debugging session, race condition or crash contains lessons that make us better engineers. This resonates with me because I've seen this mindset transform other areas of my life.
In high school, I embarked on a significant weight loss journey that taught me about commitment and personal transformation. The process wasn't easy, as I stepped away from a sport where I'd built most of my friendships, made decisions that sometimes went against my parents' wishes, and had to make conscious changes to the way I approached my daily life. Through this experience, I discovered that meaningful growth happens when you're willing to be uncomfortable.
Additionally, in early 2025, unexpected health issues temporarily made it extremely difficult to engage in the hobbies I enjoy, including coding—something I had used as one of my main sources of joy—and prevented me from connecting with the work I love for an extended period of time. It was a difficult experience and forced me to pause and reconsider how I spend my time and energy. When you suddenly can't do what you're passionate about, you quickly figure out what matters most.
These experiences have shown me that we rarely internalize important lessons until we've faced real challenges and failures. I've come to believe that intentionality, extreme ownership and willingness to push forward matters more than perfection. We have limited time and energy each day, and I believe our choices about how to use them shape both what we create and who we become.
Since then, I've continued to develop my skills and push myself, working on side projects, learning new technologies, and participating in hackathons to keep growing. I enjoy exploring the intersections of software, business, and finance, and other disciplines always looking for ways to expand my understanding and impact. I value continuous learning and improvement, and I'm always looking for new challenges to tackle or new things to learn.
I earned my Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at Iowa State University, where I was involved in multiple organizations. I held leadership roles in the Iowa State Investment Group, where I worked on equity research and portfolio management. I was also part of the Computer Science & Software Engineering Club, the Wall Street Club, and worked as a Computer Science Peer Mentor.
Outside of coding, I spend time weightlifting, reading, hiking, and on the rare occasion playing strategy or sandbox games (Supreme Commander and Satisfactory are personal favorites). The thing I value most in life is always looking for ways to improve—whether that's through fitness, learning, or building something new.
