My Developer Story

About Me

I’m entirely self-taught—no bootcamp, no CS degree, just a deep curiosity and a drive to build things that matter.

My journey started with [The Odin Project’s Ruby on Rails curriculum](https://www.theodinproject.com/paths/full-stack-ruby-on-rails), but I quickly realized that real growth comes from rolling up your sleeves and building something from scratch. That’s how [PaceMaker](https://pace-maker.onrender.com) was born—a full-featured Rails app for cross-country coaches and athletes, inspired by challenges my dad faced as a coach for over 25 years. Every feature, from real-time team messaging to Strava integration, was shaped by real user needs and continuous feedback.

Milestones & Lessons Learned

One of my proudest milestones was launching PaceMaker and seeing it actually used by teams to track progress, set goals, and stay connected. Building it solo—while raising a newborn, supporting my wife through nursing school, and working part-time—taught me not just technical skills, but also perseverance, time management, and the value of listening to users. I learned to prioritize clarity, reliability, and simplicity in both code and user experience, and I’m always looking for ways to refine my work as I grow.

What Drives Me

What excites me most is the opportunity to create tools that make a genuine difference for real people. I love the craft of writing clean, thoughtful code, but I care just as much about the impact of what I build.

My experience training new employees in other roles has shaped how I communicate—whether I’m pair programming, writing documentation, or walking through a PR, I aim to make complex ideas accessible and foster real collaboration.

I thrive in environments where autonomy, ownership, and thoughtful problem-solving are valued, and I’m always eager to learn something new or tackle a challenge others might shy away from. That’s what I bring to every project and every team I join.