Hi, I’m Carissa

About Me

I recently graduated from the University of Houston with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and a concentration in Software Design.

I’m passionate about becoming a full-stack developer, building applications that are both user-friendly on the front end and robust on the back end. I enjoy working across the entire stack — from designing clean interfaces to implementing APIs and managing databases.

I’m also deeply interested in cybersecurity. I believe great software should not only function well, but also protect user data and anticipate vulnerabilities from the start.

Outside of coding, I enjoy going to the gym, staying active, and exploring creative outlets like visual design and web layout.

Projects

WeatherGetBetter

iOS weather application built with SwiftUI using MVVM architecture. Fetches current, hourly, and 7-day forecasts via REST API calls (GET) to a third-party weather service using async/await. Includes city search, CoreLocation integration, favorites, and persistent °F/°C toggle settings.

TrashTalk

Full-stack web application built during a hackathon to classify items as recyclable or compostable using the Gemini API. Backend developed in Node.js/Express to handle image uploads and API requests, returning real-time classification guidance. Frontend built with HTML/CSS/JavaScript for dynamic image input.

Volunteer Management System

A full-stack web app (React, Node/Express, MySQL) that helps organizations create events and track volunteer participation. Volunteers can browse events, join/leave, and see a detailed Volunteer History with event info and status. The backend enforces field/type/length validation with REST APIs and unit tests, and the schema models users, profiles, events, and participation records.

Personal Portfolio Website

Responsive one-page site (About, Projects, Contact) with animations. Built using HTML, CSS (Flexbox/Grid), and a bit of JS.

Contact

Find me here: