Computer Science & Cybersecurity — UCF Burnett Honors College
about
I am an Honors student at the University of Central Florida (UCF) pursuing a Bachelor's in Computer Science and an accelerated Master's in Cybersecurity and Privacy, carrying a 3.9 GPA. I currently work as a Teaching Assistant for cybersecurity and cloud computing coursework, and spend the rest of my time building full-stack applications. From AI assisted nutrition tracking to LAMP stack contact management systems, I am drawn to the intersection of building things and securing them. I recently earned first place at the Horse Plinko Cyber Challenge 4, competing against 35 other teams in a hands-on cyber security defense competition.
experience
cyber security competitions
projects
UCF Senior Design I | Fall 2026 | Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) & U.S. Army Reserve (USAR) |
Cybersecurity LOE 1: Backend / Infrastructure / Security
UCF CS article: Reserve Mercury supports U.S. military ↗
Contributing to Reserve Mercury, a mobile and web platform built by UCF Computer Science students that replaces paper-based Army Reserve administrative workflows, including pay, absence, and medical form submissions, with a digital system now used by thousands of reservists nationwide.
As part of the Cybersecurity Level of Effort (LOE 1), I am focused on backend infrastructure and security hardening for a production system supporting military users. This includes security compliance upgrades for ATO work toward Authority to Operate requirements, as well as implementing multi-factor authentication to protect access to sensitive reservist data.
Key skills: Multi-factor authentication, security compliance (ATO/federal authorization standards), backend infrastructure, secure software development, collaboration with government and defense stakeholders.
Impact: Reserve Mercury is actively used by USAR units nationwide. The security work I am contributing to supports the platform's path toward broader adoption across the Army Reserve.
University of Central Florida | Fall 2026 | CEN 5016: Graduate Software Engineering | Course fork of cal.diy
As part of a four-person team in UCF's graduate Software Engineering course, I joined a mature, real-world open-source codebase, Cal.diy (an open-source scheduling and booking platform in the same space as Cal.com), and delivered new features following the project's existing conventions. The course is built around the reality that most professional engineering work means joining an established system, so our team assessed the codebase, scoped user stories, and implemented them in a forked course version of the repository.
My contributions: Improved the appointment column grouping page by building time based columns that categorize bookings by date and place each booking in the right column; reworked the page's UI layout so grouped bookings are easier to scan. Wrote TypeScript code for the feature, and authored end-to-end tests to verify the grouping behavior and guard against regressions. I worked in an unfamiliar, large TypeScript codebase, learning its structure and conventions before making changes.
Team process: Used Jira to manage the backlog, with user stories planned into two-week sprints. Took part in Agile ceremonies (sprint planning, stand-ups, and retrospectives) with a four-person team. Followed shared standards for version control and collaboration, drawn from our team contract and standards document.
Skills: TypeScript, end-to-end testing, working in large existing codebases, Git/version control, Jira, Agile/Scrum, user story planning, team collaboration.
University of Central Florida | Summer 2026 | COP 4331C: Processes for Object-Oriented Software Development
A full-stack nutrition tracking application that uses AI to parse natural language meal descriptions into structured, editable food log entries. It integrates USDA food data for macro and micronutrient tracking, supports thirteen nutrients, and includes wellness tracking for water, sleep, and cardio. The app features a live search architecture routed entirely through a backend API, with history views, daily totals, and weekly summaries. I also designed a 508 compliant UI with light and dark theme support in Figma.
University of Central Florida | Summer 2026 | COP 4331C: Processes for Object-Oriented Software Development
A web based contact management system built on the LAMP stack with a remote MySQL database and JSON based API communication. It implements secure user registration and authentication, with full CRUD functionality for adding, searching, editing, and deleting contacts through a responsive interface.
hobbies
I am an active member of the numismatic community, studying the history, artistry, and stories behind coins from around the world. Beyond simply collecting and grading, I research minting techniques, historical context, and the cultural and economic significance behind different currencies and eras. Each coin is essentially a small, physical artifact of the moment it was made. Numismatics gives me a hands-on way to practice research, careful observation, and attention to detail. These are skills that translate directly into how I approach technical problems. It has also connected me to a broader community of collectors, where I am constantly learning from people who bring different areas of expertise and perspective to the hobby.
skills
education
awards & recognition