When I was about 11, I spent an entire summer in the U of I computer lab, teaching myself how to program the PLATO computer system. I fell in love with programming and got a job as a programmer that paid my way through college.

Upon leaving high school, I decided to become an electrical engineer because I wanted to take my love of computers to the next level - the hardware. Along the way, I found that EE was much more than electronics and computers, and found myself fascinated by lasers and solid state, and eventually made that into a career.

But I never lost my passion for software. I continue to get excited about creating amazingly complex and useful programs starting with a small set of simple statements. I love learning the 'new' innovations for managing complexity and the always changing nature of software development.

I'm starting a second career in my first passion, and I'm ready to begin my new adventure.