ALUMNI IN THE NEWS

What is your current position? How long have you been in this position? Can you give us a brief overview of what it is you do in your work?

I have been a Software Development Engineer for the past 6.5 years. I have built software solutions for Microsoft across many different areas. Starting at Bing, I worked on placing virtual cameras in 3D maps. At Windows, I helped analyze data for machine learned handwriting recognition algorithms for touch based devices like the Surface Book. Now I work on an Open Source LiveOps game service Azure PlayFab which runs thousands of games from Kongregate to Xbox.

What skills do you need to do the work you just described?

Logic and Reasoning skills help with - Programming API's (C++, C#, Java), Scripting helper tools (bash, batch, python) and tools like Game Engines (Unity and Unreal) and other technologies (mac/iOS, iPadOS, Android, Linux etc.) I needed to know a lot of Vector math for 3D maps. Matrix math is used in rendering/projection for 3D graphics. Data Analysis requires a lot of statistics. Psychology can be a very useful skill for understanding how to build User Interfaces.

Please describe any experiences at Westlake High School that influenced your career decision?

AP Computer Science with Mrs. Jativa in my senior year was a really good introduction to programming and enabled me to skip the intro classes at RIT and focus on the more advanced areas of graphics and game engines quicker. While at Westlake, I used to work in the sound booth to help with microphones for the plays/musicals and assemblies which helped grow my interests in technology. I helped build the sets for the plays alongside Mr. Hovdestad who taught me Calculus (which turns out is super helpful for understanding machine learning).

What might someone be surprised to know about you?

I play bass for a heavy metal band and we just finished recording/releasing our first single: Trail of Crumbs. Thanks for letting me play in Jazz Band, Mr. Capano!

What advice do you have for students interested in going into your field?

You have to be constantly learning to keep up with the technology industry. Start by browsing news.ycombinator.com to stay up-to-date with startup companies and different technologies. Be dynamic!