About
Hi! I'm Melissa! I just finished a 12-week intensive Coding Bootcamp at Actualize Chicago, and have started volunteering as a developer for The Difference Engine, a non-profit organization that fulfills the tech needs of other non-profit organizations. After spending years working in a research laboratory, I decided it was time to switch careers and enter the field of software development! Here's my story!
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College & Early Career
My Humble Beginning
I studied biomedical engineering in college and learned a little bit of coding, but hadn't had to do any programming in my first few years out of school! Lucky for me, I've found that programming is like riding a bike. I may be a bit rusty, but the skills are there somewhere!
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2010-2014
My Interest is Born
My interest in web development was first piqued when I joined the Chicago Tri Club (CTC) leadership. I was recruited to manage the Newbie Program and introduce first-time triathletes to the sport, but I ended up managing the website as well. I was eventually promoted to VP, but couldn't recruit others to help manage the site.
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2014-2016
Trial Under Fire
A month before I was elected CTC president, the website crashed permanently. I had to set up a new site and transfer our member database myself. This experience taught me a lot about web development, and I enjoyed being able to create a membership site even with limited knowledge.
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2016-2017
The Decision to Change
Mid-2016, my boss decided to pursue a new career in physical therapy, which motivated me to make a career change myself. I decided I really enjoyed the challenges of creating a new website for the tri club, so turn my sights toward software development.
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Be Part
Of My
Story!
