I've loved the intellectual challenge and been inspired by the promise and impact of solving real-world problems with software since my brother showed me how to program our family's original Franklin computer. I have a broad base of interests and am most curious and passionate when my work is connected to a problem that affects something I care about - health, environment, medicine, community, food systems... I've used my experience and training to work on promoting recycled products, saving local news, and making retail/municipal waste streams more efficient and less wasteful.I'm not motivated by the highest salary so much as spending my career working with thoughtful people on a great mission (ideally in a balanced environment where spending ~200 days a year on intense, focused work is the "right amount").While technical challenges are fun and interesting, my most consistent reward comes from my coworkers reactions to how I interact with them on a human level. Software engineering is about people having respectful, meaningful conversations as much as it is about design or technology.