When I was a kid, I played a game called Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast on PC. One day my friend showed me a website where you could download "mods" for the game, and this unexpectedly started me on my journey as a software developer. By making mods I learned about 3D modeling, particle effects, shaders, making maps, level scripting, and learning how to use software like Photoshop.
After graduating from high school, I completed an Associate in Science degree from Cape Fear Community College before transfering to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. At UNCW I majored in Computer Science with a concentration on Digital Arts.
After graduation, I began learning web dev and landed my first job as a junior web developer at Queensboro Shirt Company, a local screen print and embroidery business. I worked there for three years until the company was forced to downsize on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.
After an unsuccessful stint trying my hand at being a self-employed game dev, I landed my next job as a web developer with Piestar. I worked remotely with them for four years until DOGE funding cuts forced them to lay off several employees.
I am currently seeking work as a web developer. I am proficient with both front and back-end technologies such as PHP, MySQL, and JavaScript, and I have experience with frameworks such as Laravel, Filament, Vue, jQuery, Bootstrap, and Tailwind.
"Steve is the mythical full stack engineer that can handle deep engineering tasks AND make it well designed too. Would gladly hire again!"
- Ben Claar, CEO at Piestar