After telling a story about my internship last week, I realized it would probably be beneficial if people knew a bit more about who I am. Since we haven’t started development on our project yet, this week is a good time to do just that.
The Before Times
I grew up in Minnesota, in a northern suburb of the Twin Cities. I went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where I majored in Pharmacology & Toxicology. Becoming a Badger was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I loved my time in Madison. I did not, however, love the world of academic research as much as I thought I was going to. With a degree in a narrow scientific field, there were only a few industry options for me. After graduating in 2018, I decided to become a research technician at a contract research organization, but I knew I eventually wanted to do something else.
Making the Change
I spent a long time after graduation trying to decide where to take my career. My job as a research technician was fulfilling, but not sustainable in the long term. I spent time looking back at the classes I enjoyed the most over the years. In high school, I was a big ol’ nerd and really enjoyed math, especially calculus. Turns out that there existed a job adjacent to math that had many job prospects, exciting projects, and plenty of perks and benefits (I wonder what it could be)! Before I took the plunge to change my career, I wanted to make sure programming would be something that I enjoyed. I got two books on learning Python: Automate the Boring Stuff and Python Crash Course. I absolutely loved programming. It was a perfect combination of logical challenges and creative freedom.
The only thing left was to learn everything else.
Luckily for me, there was an online Post-Baccalaureate Computer Science program that was specifically geared toward working professionals. It was right up my alley. I enrolled into Oregon State’s program in 2019, and my CS knowledge has grown exponentially since. Because of the program, I was also fortunate enough to land an internship which taught me how to successfully work as a software engineer in a professional environment.
And that pretty much bring us up to present day. I am currently in my last class of the program and am planning on graduating in March. It has been a long journey and I am excited to take my last step toward making my career change official.
More About Me
As much as I love CS and Software, they aren’t the only things I have going on in my life. I currently live in Minnesota with my fiancée, two German Shepherds (Valley and River), two cats (Misty and Fraser), and 4 snakes (Casanova, Annie, Rumour, and Celeste). My hobbies include brewing beer, playing video games and board games (currently loving Spirit Island), and taking our dogs to sporting events (They both love Barn Hunt). I am also a big fan of the Timberwolves, and have loved watching them this year.
