Strong opinions, loosely held.

Software should improve peoples’ lives.

This blog is a space for me to reflect on things I think I’ve learned in an effort to understand them better.

Who?

My name is Gina, and I’m a software engineer based in Columbia, Maryland. I enjoy being a jack of all trades and always picking up new skills - “I can’t do that because I don’t know how” isn’t something in my vocabulary.

I’m a high school dropout. At 15, I started experiencing fibromyalgia. My high school wasn’t willing to make any accommodations, and after two weeks of missing too classes, they dropped me from the honors program and the school. I initially planned to go for my GED, but thanks to my mother’s persistence, I ended up at a early college program that let me take college classes for high school credit. I graduated from the program at 18 with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.

After a couple of years of taking undergraduate classes and working in IT, I went to Oregon State University and earned my bachelor’s degree in 2018. At that point, I had never lived more than an hour from home. I knew no one on the East Coast, and had never been there, but I accepted a job offer that brought me to Maryland. I made my move to Maryland with a one way plane ticket, a backpack, and a suitcase.

I now own a home with my boyfriend, two cats, and one dog. We hope to travel lots, have a yummy garden, increase the household cat-to-dog ratio, continuously try new hobbies and pick up new skills… and maybe not all of those goals are shared. This year I’ve been picking up new certifications, learning how to sew, and ran my first half marathon!