In the summer of 2000, after having been laid off from what would be my last administrative assistant job, I had a career epiphany. I realized that I needed to change careers. I've always had a creative bent, which is probably why I've not enjoyed integrating into the rigid, suit-wearing corporate world. The prospect of ending up in another cubicle working as a clerical scullion just didn’t appeal to me. Adding to that, my extensive background in insurance licensing had priced me out of lower-level clerical positions – jobs I really didn’t want anyway.

What to do? Return to my penchant for graphic design, with an emphasis on web development, of course. I had been building and maintaining personal websites since 1996, writing straight HTML code and utilizing WYSIWYG web editing software. I just needed to ‘fill in the blanks’ of what I didn’t know and refine what I did know. And I needed to learn graphics software: Photoshop, Fireworks, Illustrator et al. I also switched from FrontPage to Dreamweaver – which was quite a transition.

I’ve now been designing websites professionally since 2002, and am steadily building my portfolio. I have also taught Dreamweaver to San Diego Community College District faculty and staff at the Learning Resource Center in San Diego City College. I have also run Dreamweaver workshops at the same location. As an intern, I participated in developing math tutorial software (using Flash) at San Diego City College for their Math Mentor program, eventually earning a paying contract for that work. (A letter of recommendation from Professor David Kater, Math Center Coordinator, can be viewed here.) I also work as an independent contractor for several design/hosting firms (Harris Media in New York City, for example), designing, redesigning and maintaining many of their client sites. I love telecommuting.

In my spare time, I write fiction (science fiction, romance and mainstream). I’m also a chain-reader, often reading eight to ten books at a time (and, no, I never have problems separating plots and characters from book to book). I also enjoy doodling in the hope that my scribbles might, one day, turn into minor fine art. My latest passion is digital photography, having purchased a Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-717 in April of 2003.

C.V. available here.

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