hi - i'm alaina
i am a former teacher turned software engineer who loves funky challenges, whimsical user experiences, and being the best slack-moji reactor i can be (jokes, jokes).
my path here
1990s–early 2000s
grows up in toledo, ohio. develops personality despite this.
college
discovers writing, rowing, and the invigorating feeling of academic deadlines whooshing by. falls in love with football.
post-grad
moves to detroit to teach high school english and yearbook. learns how to lead classrooms, navigate teenage emotions, and hype students up for college apps.
after teaching
dips into financial services. stumbles into software engineering.
software engineer era
builds dashboards, systems, tools. becomes very good at troubleshooting. and mentoring. burns out spectacularly. decides to breathe, reset, and rethink everything.
the break
reconnects with creativity, mentoring, sports, and community. starts feeling like herself again.
october 2025
applies to grad school. gets in. cries happy tears. begins the pivot toward sports administration.
now
balancing grad school, lions fandom, and the thrilling art of figuring out the next dream job in sports operations.
future
nfl or collegiate athletic department: operations, communications, administration, or something equally behind-the-scenes and powerful. also: petting her cat.