How My Journey Started

MySpace is where my journey started. Yes, the legendary MySpace during my high school years. I was fascinated by the ability to customize my profile and connect with friends online. My first taste of JavaScript was the ability to add music players and interactive elements to my page. This sparked my interest in web development and set me on the path to becoming a Full Stack Programmer. I also quickly learned I could use JavaScript to prank my friends by adding what I now understand to be called "Stored XSS" to my own profile. It was a fun and mischievous way to learn about the power of web technologies.

Rediscovering My Passion in Adulthood

After some time away from web development, I rediscovered my passion for coding. For years, I lived life across different jobs and industries with the thrill of those early MySpace memories still living with me: the thrill of customizing my page, the joy of pranking friends by tweaking their layouts, and the mystery of how it all worked under the hood.

In 2019, I found myself dabbling in web development again, reigniting that old spark. It was around this time that I met a friend while attending college for HVAC certs and a degree in mechanical engineering. This friend was a former Army hacker with deep technical chops. One day, he overheard me reminiscing: "Man, I miss MySpace. It was so cool to decorate my page and mess with my friends' profiles."

He smiled and broke it down for me. What I thought was just playful customization was actually my first encounter with real-world web exploitation, stored XSS. He guided me back into the world of coding, helping me understand the fundamentals of web security and development. With his mentorship, I dove deep into learning Python, Linux and having fun with front-end projects again.

Looking Ahead

My goals moving forward are simple but powerful: gain hands-on experience, continue expanding my skill set, and connect with others who share my passion for technology and coding. I am open to opportunities, especially with companies that value creativity, and the kind of passion I bring to every project. Working with a team that understands and appreciates my drive would be an incredible blessing. I truly love what I do so I am confident I would become an asset to any organization.