I am a recent graduate from Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering, currently working for Amazon as a Software Development Engineer. Originally from Washington D.C., my family moved to Houston, Texas when I was only 3 years old, where I would live and call home until joining Amazon in October 2024. I now reside in Seattle, Washington with my partner.
I thrive on interacting with diverse groups of people and find joy in uplifting those around me. In the early 2020s, this culminated in a passion for content creation. Running
a medium-sized YouTube
channel and a slightly larger Twitch
stream allowed me to connect with an incredible array of wonderful people and participate
in organizing and hosting charity events—an experience I cherish deeply.
Whatever I do, I put 100% of myself into it. This usually results in my taking on leadership roles. In September 2019 I became president of Northwestern's Residence
Hall Association (RHA) and organized events that helped make life a little better for my fellow stressed
students. In 2021 I became a moderator in the DOOM Eternal speedrunning community, and I had the privilege of helping organize and providing hosting
services and commentary
for the ModernDOOMSpeedrunning '21 Marathon, raising over $9,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention. Continuing this momentum, I worked tech for the '22 Spring Marathon and
participated myself
in Slayers4Charity, raising well over $5000 for Save the Children Fund and Veterans 4
Child Rescue, respectively.
These experiences have instilled in me a profound appreciation for teamwork and collective action. While I
am adept at working independently, my true passion lies in collaborating with
like-minded individuals to develop innovative and impactful programs for others.
Now at Amazon, I am eagerly embarking on a career dedicated to this mission.
What Do I Offer?
Software Development
Trained by Revature in Full Stack Software Development using modern technologies like Java, Apache Maven, and Spring Boot
Implemented REST APIs using Java Database Connectivity, Javalin, and Spring Data
Experienced with Model View Controller frameworks and development platforms that utilize them such as Ruby On Rails
Taken initiative to design and publish several software projects of my own, featured in the Projects section, that range from sentiment analysis to interactive web design to Android mobile apps
Skilled at collaborating with others through distributed version control systems such as Git and project management tools like Trello
Full knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle
Experience with design sprints and testing sprints in an Agile (Scrum) environment to produce tangible results (See project: Proto)
Keen understanding of the workflow in a waterfall environment
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning
Demostrated PyTorch, NLTK, Scikit-Learn, and Transformers (Hugging Face) application in building a sentiment analysis model (See Projects: YouTube Sentiment Analysis)
Specialization in Natural Language Processing, with experience in sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, text analysis, Q&A services, custom text classification, language translation, and speech-enabled apps
Leverage Azure AI Services to build AI Vision, AI Document Intelligence, AI Search, Generative AI, and Natural Language Processing solutions
Proven proficiency with Natural Language Processing and AI Document Intelligence solutions using Azure AI Services through Microsoft Applied Skills
Core machine learning experience training supervised learning models (classification and regression) as well as unsupervised learning models (clustering)
Well-versed in data analysis and visualization techniques using Power BI, Pandas, NumPy, and SciPy
CS degree with an emphasis on Artificial Intelligence Programming, Natural Language Processing, and Knowledge Representation and Reasoning from a Top 10 University in the United States
Cloud Experience (Microsoft Azure)
Microsoft Certified in Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900), scoring 942/1000 where passing is 700
Intimately familiar with the Microsoft Azure Portal, Azure Machine Learning Studio, Azure Language Studio, Azure AI Software Development Kit, and Azure Command Line Interface
Fluent in performing cost analyses based on resource usage and Microsoft's Pricing Calculator
Proficient in system monitoring strategies such as transparently providing information on different resources in Azure's dashboard and notifying on anomalies
Can secure systems by taking advantage of Azure's key vaults to fortify sensitive data from attacks
Provide safe and reliable data storage through Azure Blob Storage for unstructured data storage or Azure Files and Disks for cloud-based SMB file shares and VMs
Manage relational databases with Azure SQL, highlighting data backups, scalable infrastructure, and security
Utilize Azure Identity and Access Management (IAM) to ensure appropriate access levels across resources, especially with Role-Based Access Control
Strong Foundations
Achieved Bachelor of Science, Computer Science from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois
Proficiency in a variety of popular programming languages including Java, Python, C#, C++, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, among others
Practiced in proper application of data structures and the crafting of fast, complex algorithms, primarily through HackerRank (6 stars in problem solving)
Knowledge of database querying, maintenance, and best practices
Experience with a variety of technologies not yet mentioned: CUDA, Apache Maven, ReactJS, Node.js, Docker, Postman, MySQL, JupyterLab, Android Studio, and VMWare
Leadership experience as president of Northwestern University's Residence Hall Association
An unwavering passion for continuous personal growth and learning
Important soft skills such as teamwork, communication, empathy, passion, and innovation
My Projects
YouTube Sentiment Analysis
Natural Language Processing using PyTorch
Ever since YouTube removed the Dislike feature, users have sought alternative ways to gauge community sentiment on videos.
This project aims to fill that gap by analyzing comments to determine whether they are positive, negative, or neutral.
Leveraging Docker, JupyterLab, and extensive research on PyTorch, I trained a BERT model for sentiment analysis. Using BertForSequenceClassification
from bert-base-uncased, a leading model in NLP, I trained it on 75,000 Amazon reviews of movies and TV shows, 15,000 from each rating (1-5 stars). Achieving acceptable performance metrics—training loss of 0.62 and validation accuracy of 0.688
on the final epoch—this model provides a snapshot of viewer sentiment more robust than a like/dislike ratio.
This project offered me an opportunity to work hands-on with the inner systems of AI engineering, such as
tokenizing (special tokens, max length purpose, truncation), input ids (encoding, padding), and attention masks, Pandas.DataFrame, torch
utilities such as DataLoader, Dataset, TensorDataset, RandomSampler, and SequentialSampler,
and practical training elements such as learning rates, optimizing, epochs, schedulers, backwards propagation, loss
calculation, and validation accuracy calculation. I also got some experience working with the YouTube API. This was a rewarding endeavor.
AI Recipes
Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KRR) AI in Python
Challenged with creating a Knowledge Representation and Reasoning (KRR) AI solution, I developed an
AI ontology tailored for recommending ingredient substitutions based on food preferences and allergens
within a collection of meal recipes, earning an A in the course.
I began by constructing a scalable KRR database in Python, utilizing genLs to represent shared
attributes of elements. Importantly, my approach diverged from simply assigning attributes based
on parent genLs; instead, instances inherited all relevant attributes through backward chaining.
Additionally, the program employed forward chaining and reasoning to deduce ingredient attributes
within recipes and suggest suitable substitutions.
Please note: Although this was a group project, I take full ownership as I independently
handled every aspect of it. From envisioning the premise to writing every line of code
(as documented in the GitHub history), recording the demo, and crafting the final project
report—every task was my responsibility. In instances where team effort was lacking, I
willingly stepped up to ensure completion.
MasterTheGods
Object-Oriented Programming
MasterTheGods (formerly GodmasterHelper) enhances the gaming experience for Hollow Knight players by tracking their progress
and abilities in the Godmaster DLC.
Utilizing Python's class system, I organized information for each boss in the DLC, including names,
pantheons, and numerical data. I then developed a user-friendly UI that allows players to input
their gameplay data, tracking the number of deaths to each boss to provide insights for improvement.
To ensure data persistence, I implemented file storage and retrieval functionalities.
After establishing core functionality, I expanded the project to include a comprehensive GUI in
Python. This interface features buttons, drop-down menus, images, and pop-up windows designed
to optimize usability and enhance the overall user experience.
The finalized program was exported as an executable and is now available on GitHub for the Hollow
Knight community to utilize and enjoy.
MasterTheGods for Android
Java and XML App Design
MasterTheGods was a valuable project, but it had its limitations. Gamers were inconvenienced by the need to tab out to record their deaths, and console players often did not have a PC readily available. However, almost everyone has a phone that can be kept open during gaming sessions. The solution was clear: Port MasterTheGods to mobile.
Leveraging my expertise in Java and the similarities between XML and the familiar HTML and CSS, I developed a responsive and visually appealing MasterTheGods app for Android. Like its desktop predecessor, MasterTheGods for Android tracks player deaths, providing a clear path to mastering Hollow Knight's Godmaster DLC. Data persistence using SharedPreferences ensures users do not lose their data between sessions. Additional safeguards, such as an Undo button and a confirmation dialog for data resetting, further protect users from data inaccuracies or loss. The Stats button presents a table of the user's data with intuitive interactive elements. I employ optimal data structures for storing information, such as ArrayLists for user death history or HashMaps for key value pairs, in order to maximize app responsiveness and minimize memory use.
Learning the ins and outs of Android app development and putting them into practice was highly enjoyable, and I plan to make the results of my efforts available on the Google Play Store for Hollow Knight players to download and use free of charge.
Portfolio Website
HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in Action
You're on it! Hope you like it!
Recognizing the limitations of GitHub and aiming to impress potential employers, I took on
the challenge of creating a portfolio website. My primary goal was exceptional usability,
ensuring visitors encounter a functional and intuitive interface. Using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript,
I crafted a visually appealing and highly functional website, prioritizing mobile-friendly
design with variable object sizes and a streamlined navigation bar that transitions into an
expandable dropdown menu on smaller devices.
To enhance user experience, the dropdown menu closes automatically upon selection,
maintaining a clean interface. On desktop, the navigation bar highlights the current page
location for easy navigation. I designed unique and aesthetically pleasing divs and buttons,
incorporating personal touches such as a subtle gradient flip effect on buttons, revealed through a
transparent wipe on hover.
The website features embedded YouTube videos and smooth scrolling for seamless interaction.
For future scalability and flexibility, I adhered to best practices in CSS and HTML for
element positioning, implemented classes liberally, and utilized FontAwesome for
high-quality, free icons and logos.
Proto
Design and Iterative Prototyping
In the course Human Computer Interaction Studio, I spent the quarter leading a team, designing
and testing a single ambitious project, Proto, an AI-based solution to finding new content across
streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, etc.).
During this process, I interviewed potential users, crafted novel ideas and solutions, and built
and tested prototypes weekly in design sprints. The early prototypes were designed within hours
using strategies from Marc Rettig’s landmark article Prototyping for Tiny Fingers (1994) and allowed
us to gather user feedback on design elements in days which would have taken weeks if implemented
practically. The later prototypes took advantage of ChatGPT’s API to provide a true proof of concept.
Our research revealed that users are frustrated with modern algorithmic solutions to content
discovery. This led us to create an interactive AI that listens to user prompts and provides
media suggestions based on how the user feels in the moment. With a focus on personalization
and usability, we sought to close the gap between the media the user wants and the media presented
to them.
r/PokemonExchange CSS
CSS on Reddit!
From 2016 to 2019, I served as both head moderator and stylist for the r/PokemonExchange subreddit,
a thriving community with thousands of monthly visitors. This role provided me with the
opportunity to exercise creative control over the subreddit's appearance and functionality.
Partnering with Dr. Roberto Medina, we explored various CSS elements to personalize our community.
After analyzing and familiarizing ourselves with CSS fundamentals, we implemented extensive
modifications. Our enhancements included customizing tables, links, headers, menus, lists, and
sprites, integrating hover effects, refining borders, and implementing a fully functional dark mode.
These efforts marked one of my early real-world projects, which I deeply value for the experience gained.
Our CSS modifications have remained largely unchanged since 2019, with updates limited to banner and
wiki images. The subreddit's customized design is still active today, accessible by replacing
"www" with "old" in the Reddit URL.
