I'm a software engineer and prior U.S. Army Officer with experience building full-stack web applications in React and other frontend frameworks like Next.js and Astro. My goal is to deliver a positive experience to end users by solving difficult technical problems and writing quality, tested code. I have a voracious appetite for learning new skills and tools, and I'm currently experimenting with other JS runtimes like Deno and Bun, alternatives to React such as Svelte, and other languages in general (Rust). I'm looking for opportunities to contribute and hone my skills in a team of talented devs. I love a challenge, and I love seeing the positive impacts of the work I contribute!
Check out my personal portfolio at julianbarker.dev!
More About Me
I grew up in southwest Connecticut with my parents and brother. I was always interested in technology and science, but never broke into the self-taught coder life in my youth. After high school, I attended the United States Military Academy, through which I commissioned in 2016 as an Infantry Officer in the US Army, also earning my Bachelors of Science in electrical engineering. I graduated the US Army Ranger School in 2017 and spent the following 5 years in various leadership roles that taught me a lot about leading teams of people, managing valuable resources, and budgeting the most precious commodity of all: time.
In my free time, I love to be outdoors, and have recently taken to hunting. Though it's something that never interested me until recently, I've found it fosters a deep connection with nature and the wilderness, while also engaging me both mentally and physically. I also love to surf, SCUBA dive, climb, hike, camp, and more.