A story about how it all started...
I still remember when I became fascinated with web graphics. It was when I was 11 years old and discovered Windows XP Paint on the only computer in our household. I spent hours drawing pixel-perfect shapes, carefully counting the exact number of pixels and their location on each object I drew. At that time, I viewed pixels as nothing more than squares which I kept arranging obsessively. However, my fascination started to make more sense when I was introduced to bits and bytes, binary and hexadecimal numbers, digital colour and Imagine (a Slovak object-oriented programming language used to introduce programming in secondary schools). I began to understand how powerful computers were and wanted to explore all the magic they could perform.
As I continued to learn, I discovered web development and created my first few HTML Hello Worlds, experimenting with HTML, CSS, and sometimes JavaScript. The boundless possibilities excited me, and I spent an entire weekend creating my first personal website, lost in the work and losing track of time. However, I quickly realized that my knowledge had gaps when I encountered specific problems for which I couldn't find any answers. I knew I had to fill in those knowledge gaps in order to create fully functional websites, so I began to read books and solve programming problems I found online.
During my exchange program in Auckland, New Zealand, I discovered my passion for coding through technology classes. It was there that I was introduced to Python, my first programming language. I immediately started experimenting by creating small programs and playing around with different functionalities.
During my first year of university studying Immersive Systems Design, I continued to explore my passion for coding and game development. Using Python and pygame, I created games and even delved into virtual reality. However, I realised that while I found it enjoyable, it was not my true passion, so I decided to change my course of study.
Throughout my subsequent university years, I had the opportunity to explore various technologies, including React, React Native, Python Flask, MariaDB, SQLite, and Arduino, among others. Additionally, during my year-long work placement at the University of Edinburgh, I had the opportunity to gain valuable experience working in a professional team environment as part of the web development team. As a web development and support assistant, I was involved in developing and implementing a Drupal content migration strategy, which not only boosted my confidence in back-end development, but also allowed me to gain hands-on experience with agile methodologies.