A Quick Introduction

Welcome to my first ever blog post

I’ve never had a blog before, and to be honest, writing hasn’t always been my favorite thing. But I’m starting this space with a few goals in mind: to share new ideas, keep notes on what I’ve been learning, and document things as I go. Some posts will be geared more toward security practitioners, while others will be more developer-focused. More than anything, I want to use this as a way to get more comfortable with writing and producing written content consistently.

So… how did I get here?

Growing up, I wanted to be a fashion designer. But somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted something a little more stable (and maybe fewer unpaid internships), so I pivoted and decided to study computer science instead.

I went to the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) and majored in computer science, with minors in math and cyber criminology. During college, I completed a few software engineering internships and quickly realized that writing code full-time wasn’t for me. Luckily, I found a new grad opportunity in application security at WillowTree, and that’s where everything clicked. I started the role not even knowing what AppSec was, but I was fortunate to land on a team that was patient, welcoming, and excited to teach.

At WillowTree, I got to be part of a small but mighty security team, which meant I was exposed to a little bit of everything. I was surrounded by developers who were eager to collaborate, share knowledge, and walk me through the nuances of their favorite programming languages. I was eventually promoted to senior level and took on a larger role in securing the applications we built for clients. Over the years, I worked on more than 50 projects and helped reduce risk across the board.

That role shaped the kind of work I love to do: technical, collaborative, and impactful. I also got to speak at a few local tech conferences, lead regular application security trainings, and volunteer at nonprofits and schools to help get middle schoolers excited about security. Somewhere in there, I realized that I loved the intersection of teaching and tech, which led me to my current role.

Eventually, I was ready for a new challenge and joined Datadog as an Application Security Researcher and Advocate. These days, I split my time between learning and teaching, whether through conference talks, reference projects, or publishing research on Datadog Security Labs. If you’re curious about what I’ve been working on, you can check out my portfolio.

A life outside of security

As much as I love security, it’s not my whole life. I try to spend as much time outside as I can and play volleyball regularly to stay active. While I didn’t end up becoming a fashion designer, I still love making my own clothes. I like to joke that I’m not artistic, but I am craftsy. Knitting, crocheting, and sewing are big parts of my life, and over the years I’ve built up a pretty solid handmade wardrobe. I’m always tackling DIY projects around the house, and I genuinely believe you can learn just about anything with enough determination, a few YouTube videos, and a little bit of stubbornness.

My hope

My hope is to learn something new with each blog post. Heck, it might start with figuring out how to actually publish one. And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn something along the way, too.