Hello and welcome!
I am a freelance Technical Writer with a diverse array of professional skills and personal passions.
I rang in the New Year of 2018 by launching this business. At the time, it was just a side hustle, but I always had ambitions to grow it to full time.
In the spring of 2019 I enrolled in the Technical Communication professional certificate program at the UCSD Extension. These courses tied together my disparate skills and interests to enable me to grow this business to what it is today.
In April 2021, I finally worked up the courage to leave my unfulfilling corporate job to run this business full time. And I ended 2021 strong by finishing my studies at UCSD.
2022 has been an exciting growth year for me as I took on new clients in the technical communication field. I am continuing to hone my professional skills and growing my network with others in this exciting field.
Growing up with technology
I was born with an insatiable curiosity about our world and a passion for the technology that powers our contemporary lives. My greatest joy has been watching our technology grow by leaps and bounds within my lifetime.
When I was a kid, a phone was a clunky machine attached firmly to the wall and tethered to the handset with a curly cord. It did just one thing; it made phone calls. Now my phone is an all-purpose supercomputer that slips into my pocket. Video games went from clunky square pixels bounced back and forth to immersive worlds that let you forget the real one for a while. Commercial space flight went from fantasy to reality, and it’s my ultimate dream to experience it firsthand.
While some bemoan that progress, I fully embrace it. Each new discovery and gadget reawakens the curious child within me. I am a natural at figuring out how things work and how we can use them to better our lives. My fascination for these things has made me a lifelong learner and also driven me to share my knowledge to help others learn things that may not come as naturally to them.
Becoming a professional Technical Writer
Many of my early clients sought me out for architectural drafting work which was my original career. I also built websites for fellow freelancers and small businesses on the side, learning more about WordPress along the way. Neither drafting nor web design was my ultimate career goal though, as choosing one of those shut the door to too many other skills and interests. I always loved writing and yearned for a career that included more of it.
I am also an avid reader who always dreamed of penning the next bestselling novel. Yet the practicalities of earning a living that way deterred me from seriously pursuing it. At several prior drafting jobs, I was entrusted with writing and illustrating standards and procedures manuals. I also wrote content for various websites over the years. Through those projects, I discovered I was able to scratch my itch for writing even though the writing was non-fiction. When I learned that Technical Writing and Technical Communication were viable, in-demand careers I knew I had found my true calling.
Most contemporary Technical Writing projects require a mix of skillful technical writing, graphic design, illustrations, videos, and online presentations. They also require the writer to quickly learn about complex topics so they can present them in a clear and simple manner to their audience. Finally, I had found a career that checked all of the boxes for my competencies and passions!
Balancing work with life
I have more interests than I can realistically pursue, but a few hobbies have come to the forefront in recent years.
I always enjoyed model making, and until recently I mostly built 1/24 and 1/25 scale plastic car kits. During the pandemic, I shifted back to model railroading. That hobby was a big part of my early childhood. I still have my old locomotives and rolling stock, and I am building a new N scale layout to run them on. I’m also taking the hobby to the next level with 3D printing to design and produce my own buildings and accessories.
I enjoy railfanning (riding and watching real trains) as well as biking on rail trails where I can enjoy sunshine and fresh air while taking in the history of the railroads, canals, and the towns that grew up around them.
I live in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Lehigh Valley where I share my rural home with eight adorable cats. Their favorite moments are when I kick back to read a book because it lets them curl up on my lap to help me relax.
And maybe one day that novel brewing within me will still find its way to the page …
My credentials ensure I have the skills today's work demands
Learning is like oxygen to me, and my enthusiasm for it ensures my education continues with each project I take on. I am a lifelong learner who completed the Technical Communication certificate program at UCSD Extension in 2021.
Technical Communication Professional Certificate
B.S. in Information Technology
Resume
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