About Me

I'm a data engineer focused on building efficient, maintainable, and scalable systems. I'm drawn to data engineering because it combines technical problem-solving with creative architectural design. Currently, I'm at Sub-Zero Group in Madison, WI where I'm one of two data engineers managing data pipelines with Snowflake, dbt, Terraform, and SQL. We are migrating legacy systems to modern cloud architecture and ensuring data reliability across the organization.

My Story

My path to data engineering is unconventional. I spent nearly a decade in HR, advancing from benefits representative at Target to HRIS analyst at Ameriprise Financial, where I managed PeopleSoft modules, utilized TOAD for Oracle, and served as a subject matter expert during a PeopleSoft to Workday implementation. I developed strong skills in project coordination, bridging technical teams and business stakeholders, gathering requirements, and maintaining alignment across complex initiatives. I worked with enterprise systems and solved complex problems, even receiving an individual award from our CEO for maintaining business continuity during organizational changes. However, I wanted to do more than maintain existing systems.

I realized I wanted to design and build systems from the ground up, not just maintain existing ones. I wanted to architect solutions, make strategic design decisions, and create systems that were both elegant and functional. In 2017, I made a significant career pivot: I left my stable position and moved to China to pursue a bachelor's degree and transition into technology. This was a goal I had considered for years, and I committed fully to making it happen.

I spent five years in China, based in Suzhou and Beijing. Initially accepted into the information systems program at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, I switched to International Business and Chinese language, recognizing that I had a unique opportunity to fully immerse myself in the culture through language study. In three years of school I completed four years of language courses, achieved HSK3 certification, and earned my bachelor's degree. I then pursued a master's degree in Computer Information Systems from Boston University remotely from Beijing during the pandemic. My experience in China and as an unconventional student taught me that when I set goals and push myself I'm capable of adapting to any situation.

Since graduating in 2022, I have worked as a data engineer with increasing responsibilities. I began at UnitedHealth Group in their competitive Technology Development Rotation Program, where I migrated legacy DataStage/Teradata pipelines to Snowflake, developed performance optimization frameworks, and gained expertise in HIPAA-compliant data handling at enterprise scale. Currently at Sub-Zero Group, I build the data infrastructure supporting their SAP migration and analytics platform and have a voice in the ongoing data architecture decisions being made to support our business.

What I Actually Do

Work History

Education

Master of Science, Computer Information Systems

Boston University • 2022

Specialized in Business Intelligence & Database Management

Bachelor of Arts, International Business & Chinese Language

Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University • Suzhou, China • 2020

University of Liverpool degree program delivered in English at a joint venture campus in China

Outside of Work

Outside of work, I play guitar, roast coffee, bike around Madison, and work on personal technical projects like this website. Lately, I've been enjoying learning while building things with Claude code. I continue to maintain my Mandarin language skills, though my proficiency has declined somewhat since returning from China.

Guitar

Coffee Roasting

Biking