Jacob Smith
Backend-Focused Student Engineer pivoting to Java for fintech.
Double Major:
Cybersecurity & Computer Science at UNG Dahlonega
"With great power comes great responsibility." — Ben Parker
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) {
System.out.println("Hello, Fintech.");
}
}
@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api")
class HealthController {
@GetMapping("/health")
public Map<String,String> health() {
return Map.of("status", "up");
}
}
Professional Journey
Teaching, mentoring, and creating educational content
Sensei
Guide students through block coding, JavaScript, and Python fundamentals, teaching foundational logic, debugging, and project-based problem solving.
- Mentor young developers in computational thinking
- Teach debugging techniques and best practices
- Foster creative problem-solving through game development
Education Team Content Creator
Support Code Ninjas Education team's projects in curriculum development, learning and development including core programs, debugging and QA.
- Develop comprehensive curriculum materials
- Quality assurance for educational content
- Pilot new programs and training development
Lead Stringer & Checker
Led quality assurance for 50+ units per hour with less than 2% defect rate, managing peer training and implementing process improvements.
- Maintained exceptional quality standards
- Trained and mentored team members
- Optimized workflows for efficiency
Code Gallery
Featured projects showcasing backend & fintech learning
"Not everyone is meant to make a difference, but for me, the choice to lead an ordinary life is no longer an option." — Peter Parker
Digital Arsenal
Backend engineering with a fintech and security focus
Note: Progress bars indicate my confidence level with each technology
Backend & Languages
Web & Scripting
Tools & Platforms
Security & Data
Journey Through Code
From frontend to a Java-first backend path
Bachelor of Science - Double Major
Cybersecurity & Computer Science | GPA: 3.48
Expected Graduation: May 2028
Lead Stringer & Checker
Led QA for 50+ units/hr with <2% defect rate. Managed peer training and process improvements in fast-paced environment.
Freelance Web Developer
Develop custom web applications and responsive digital solutions for clients.
Sensei (Instructor)
Guide students in block coding and JavaScript fundamentals. Mentor young developers in computational thinking and problem-solving.
Education Team Content Creator
Support curriculum development, QA testing, and pilot new educational programs for the Education team.
"Anyone can wear the mask. You could wear the mask." — Miles Morales
Future Roadmap
Strategic goals aligned to Java backend and fintech
Technical Mastery
Core language, OOP, collections, concurrency, I/O
REST APIs, validation, dependency injection, testing
Relational modeling, JDBC/JPA, containerized dev envs
Messaging fundamentals, OAuth2/JWT, rate limiting
Major Projects
Secure CLI finance tracker with Argon2; migrating ideas to Java services
REST APIs, auth, SQL integration, and Dockerized deploys
Service design patterns and cloud fundamentals
Long-term Goals
Pursue backend roles with a security-by-design mindset
Software Engineer • Backend SWE • Security Engineer
"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: With great power comes great responsibility." — Peter Parker
Initialize Connection
Ready to collaborate on backend or educational projects
Connect With Me
Current Status
"Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: With great power comes great responsibility." — Peter Parker