I took two years off after high school, worked for a small business as their in-house web developer and designer, and ultimately went to Michigan State University.
I joined a student run start up called Food Design HQ, built the Mypalate app for them, grew that to around 2253 users, and learned a lot about UX/UI design and Full Stack Development.
I moved to Chicago and started a small development studio called Grant Place Designs. I built and maintained websites for multiple small businesses, and built a few apps to hone my skills along the way. I did work with it to try to raise awareness of the struggles encountered by autistic professionals, and worked with companies to help foster a more inclusive environment for this amazing professional population.
Some personal drama took place, and I needed to return home for a few years to recouperate. I spent the time attempted to change paths, even enrolling in nursing school for about a year. I also took the time to focus on learning lower level languages like Java, Go, and C#, while further mastering JavaScript frameworks like Vue, Next, Nuxt, and others.
With the rise in AI, I knew the competitive landscape was changing for developers. I enrolled in a Master's program to learn more about the technology, and to understand how I could use it to benefit my community. I also started advising the nursing program I'd worked with on how to teach their students how to most effectively utilize it as a tool. All the while beginning to build applications that incorporate AI into the user experience.
I'm currently working on portfolio projects as I apply for jobs, which is probably tied to why you're reading this right now.