In 2018, I decided that while I enjoyed my current position, I wasn't happy with where the rest of my life was currently at. I decided to risk everything to join a coding bootcamp. While it was an intense program, I learned so much at Actualize and now that I have graduated I am actively looking for Software developer positions!
Just before the bootcamp, I worked as a Program Assistant (a type of teachers aid) in a therapeutic day school. This environment was high stress, constantly changing, and never boring. Spending 5 years here allowed me to hone my ability to quickly assess a situation and implement my problem solving skills to deescalate or completely avoid potentially disastrous occurrences.
Well before taking a position at South Campus, I wanted to become a scuba diver. While taking the certification class, the owner of the shop offered me a job and I ended up working there for over 5 years. Within the first year I went from being a basic level open water diver and rose all the way up to Divemaster, the first level of scuba diving professional. This took hard work and many hours of dive classes, but once achieved I was able to lead dives for other people, help teach certification classes, as well as run some of my own classes!
While contemplating my future as a scuba diver, I had the privilege to work for 3 years at the Chicago Zoological Society, or Brookfield Zoo. It was my job to educate as many people as possible on the wonders of the animal kingdom as they passed through the zoo. I channeled my passion for animals and shared it with as many as I could. Many long days in the hot sun spent talking to thousands of people, and I could not have enjoyed the experience more.
My passion for animals will never be squelched, so while I was working at the dive shop, I also volunteered at Shedd Aquarium in the quarantine department. I took care of sick animals as well as animals that were coming to the Shedd for the first time, to make sure that they were healthy before going on to display. Once I became a certified scuba diver, I also volunteered as a diver in the Oceanarium with the marine mammals.
Throughout all of these career paths, I also volunteered, and continue to volunteer presently, at a local 501c3 certified not-for-profit animal rescue dedicated solely to reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrate animals. After volunteering with this organization for years, I was eventually promoted to Vice president. We rehabilitate animals, partake in community outreach events, and put on educational presentations to raise awareness and knowledge regarding keeping and interacting with reptile, amphibian, and invertebrate species. My capstone project in the actualize bootcamp was a web app to streamline the animal adoption and relinquishment processes for this organization.
Graduate of the College of Sciences with a Bachelors Degree in Zoology
Over the years, I have held a wide variety of positions that have allowed me to hone and strengthen a myriad of different skills below are some examples
● Vuejs ● Javascript ● CSS ● Bootstrap ● HTML
● Rails ● Ruby ● ActiveRecord ● Postgres ● SQL ● Git ● Heroku
● Public Speaking ● Informal Education ● One-on-one Mentoring ● Collaboration ● Sales ● Customer Service ● Teaching
● Google OAuth ● Twilio ● ActiveStorage
