About Me

Who am I?

My name is Dakota Blackwell and I'm currently a student at the University of the Fraser Valley, studying for a Bachelor of Computer Information Systems, with a concentration in Software Development. Although I've been at school for only a few years, I've been writing code for the past 10. I've already had one co-op job thus far, and am looking to try a few more before I graduate.

What programming experience do I have?

I've completed one co-op term with the Canadian government, writing programs that analyse malware so we can better defend against them. I also have a few years of university courses covering these topics.

Outside of this, my scripting experience started in 2007 with ActionScript, the language used my Adobe Flash. While I only have a few years of formal experience, I've been a hobbyist since then.

I've also used these skills during some of my other jobs - for example, using Visual Basic for Applications with Excel to automate reports. I've taken a report process that used to take 30 minutes and reduced it to 30 seconds.

What languages do I know?

I'm strongest when working in Java. Prior to my first co-op, I had mostly used it for assignments and short code (such as the Advent of Code). However, the programs used at the co-op job were written in Java and heavily relied on inheritence and abstraction. That job greatly expanded my knowledge on Object Oriented Programming and threading, and I know write my code with scalability in mind.

Through my coursework, I also have experience with JavaScript and Python, though Java remains my preferred language. I've also used C, C++, and NASM, though I'm not as proficient.

What other related skills do I have?

I knew early on that I wanted to get into software development, so I selected my electives to fields I would work closely with.

The HTML for this website was written by me, and although I rely on Bootstrap, the custom CSS file and JavaScript was also written by me. This site doesn't contain it, but I am also familiar with PHP.

I have experience working with simple database commands, such as reading, writing, and deleting entries, and doing so both with PHP and with Java. On top of that, I know how to do so in a thread-safe manner.

Finally, I have basic knowledge of networks and how they are run. I know the basic configuration of a Cisco switch and router, TCP and UDP, the differences between both pairs, and when to use each in my code.

Do I have any sample code?

I do! The Sample Code link in the top right corner will bring you to a page highlighting some of the code I've written. You can also look at all my GitHub repositories by clicking here.