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***BACK TO WORK! WORK IN PROGRESS 03-18-2025***
Born and raised in New York, I have a go-getter attitude shaped by my diverse life experiences. My military service instilled in me strong leadership and discipline. Parenting three children has taught me patience, and my marriage has honed my communication skills. My life has been an adventure full of valuable lessons, and I cherish every moment.
SideQuest: Complete AWS Solution Architect - Associate Certification.
SideQuest: Complete The Cloud Resume Challenge: AWS Edition.
SideQuest: Complete Personal Website
A dedicated veteran transitioning into the tech industry, actively seeking a full-time role in cloud computing. With over 15 years of experience training, managing, and coordinating teams in the U.S. Army and the construction industry, I bring a strong background in leadership and project management. Recently, I completed the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner certification and Google IT Support Professional certification, and I am currently pursuing the AWS Solution Architect Associate certification.
Bachelor Computer and Information Science Feb 2024 – Jan 2025 Grade: 3.9
A.S Computer Science Jan 2022 - Jan 2024 Grade: 3.8
Cloud Resume Challenge: AWS edition
Personal Website: Work in Progress
So, I’m already ahead of the game. I got the AWS certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) certification about a year ago. I used Stephen Maarek’s Udemy course and supplemented that with Jon Bonso’s Udemy AWS CCP Mock exams. The practice exams are an absolute goldmine. I also ventured into AWS Cloud Quest and completed a couple of those nifty AWD free courses. Packed with great information and it was free.
My advice: speed-run Stephen Maarek’s course like a game level. The faster you get through it, the fresher the information stays in your brain. Then, it's all about those practice exams. Take them, retake them, and keep at it until you’re scoring above 90% each time. At this level it’s more about understanding which tool to use, rather than knowing how to use the tool.
Unlike me, make sure not to take your foot off the pedal. Jump into the next certification or project. Keep getting your hands dirty. Live and learn. Now, I take the plunge into the Cloud Resume Challenge Step 2!
This marked the true beginning of my cloud resume adventure. Because I earned the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner (CCP) certification about a year ago, this was my first step in the challenge. I started by updating and refining my resume, steering clear of simply copying and pasting. Instead, I dove into FreeCodeCamp’s Responsive Web Design course and completed 2 out of 5 modules. Once I felt confident, I began creatin my resume: html and css edition.
The webpage is still a work in progress, but it's sufficient for me to continue my journey and push forward. I chose not to get bogged down by the design details, treating the website as an ongoing side project. I’m a perfectionist; this was not an easy decision. But my primary goals are to complete the AWS Solutions Architect Associate Certification and tackle the Cloud Resume Challenge.
I'm excited to immediately move forward with getting my resume up on a static website. Share with family and friends. Fortunately, I already own a domain name that's been waiting and now I can finally use it.
Setting up the S3 static website with Amazon CloudFront was straightforward. I followed Amazon's documentation step by step. The main issue I encountered was not using a private or separate browser when testing the site. Despite taking all the necessary steps, my site wasn't updating properly. Once I realized my mistake, I quickly resolved it, and now my website is live. Moving forward, I'm committed to progressing with the freecodecamp Responsive Web Design course to enhance my website further. Next on the agenda: Step 7 implementing JavaScript for a view counter.
I got sidetracked but I’m back on. Setting up DynamoDB, writing the python code, and the AWS Lambda function was easy. Figuring out how to get the AWS lambda function, API Gateway, and my website to communicate with each other took me some time. The Cloud Resume Challenge Guidebook by Forrest Brazeal offered great resources that lead me in the right direction. But the time away from the project did not help at all. But we live and learn. Still got a couple more steps and I want to redesign the website to make it personal and fun. Why make a website if you aren’t going to enjoy it.
