About Me
CS graduate, career changer, and homelab nerd in Eagle Mountain, Utah
I'm James. I'm 40, and I spent the last 20 years in leadership roles — Navy air traffic controller, restaurant GM, manufacturing project manager, vendor service manager. I went back to school for computer science while working full-time and raising kids, and graduated from Weber State in December 2025 with a 3.87 GPA in my CS coursework.
Skills I Can Defend in an Interview
Languages
Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, HTML/CSS, Bash, Java, C#, C++
Frameworks
Django, Flask, React, Next.js, Node.js, Express, Tailwind CSS, Bootstrap
Databases
PostgreSQL, MongoDB, MariaDB, SQLite, Prisma ORM
Infrastructure
Docker (44-container homelab), Nginx reverse proxy, Linux, Git/GitHub, DNS/VPN/SSL
What I've Built
Home Server →
44 Docker containers, 128 TB storage, 23 subdomains, 2+ years of self-taught maintenance
TrackMate →
Capstone MERN asset tracking app — team lead, wrote API endpoints and React components
Adventure Game →
Text adventure I wrote for CS 3620, plus a Django web rebuild
Vendor Manager Dashboard →
3-phase evolution: hand-coded HTML → my own MERN app (87 commits) → AI-expanded features. Used daily 2+ years.
Banking System →
119 commits of my own code — Node.js, MySQL stored procedures, no AI. My most honest commit history.
Hobbies & Interests
Hardware & Maker Projects
CAD modeling, functional prototypes, miniatures, and custom parts
Building furniture, shop projects, and functional pieces
Raspberry Pi, Cyberdeck builds, Arduino experiments
Dell R730 running Unraid with 44 Docker containers
Warhammer 40K, D&D minis
Outdoor Adventures
Trail riding and off-road exploration
Primitive skills, fire-starting, shelter building
Exploring Utah's backcountry
Weekend trips, teaching the kids
My Journey
I'm not a senior developer. I'm a new grad who understands how systems work, solves real problems, and isn't afraid to figure things out.
I built a home server with 44 Docker containers because I wanted to learn how infrastructure actually works. I built tools at my job because nobody else was going to fix the workflow problems I was dealing with every day. I went back to school at 37 because I wanted to do this for real.
I use AI tools — I'm honest about that on every project page. But I also wrote a text adventure engine from scratch, led a capstone team, and maintain infrastructure that's been running 24/7 for over two years. I know what I built and what I'm still learning.
I'm looking for my first software engineering role. I'm also applying to Georgia Tech's OMSCS program because I want to keep growing. I live with my wife Savanah and our kids Theo and Sophie.