👋 coding-with-arty

Lead Developer @ Maine Bread of Life
TA / Educator @ MIT’s Brave Behind Bars + Code Your Dreams
CS Student @ University of Maine Augusta
Full-stack developer exploring, building, and teaching with purpose.

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🪖 My Journey

I served in the Army from 1999–2003. Came home broken, lost a friend, nearly lost myself — then I found purpose in code.

No handouts. No shortcuts. One mission: Build tools that matter.

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🔥 Current Roles

• 💻 Lead Developer @ Maine Bread of Life
  → Custom tech for shelters, soup kitchens, and ART’s House — a recovery home for veterans.

• 🧠 Teaching Assistant / Educator
  → MIT’s Brave Behind Bars & Code Your Dreams: HTML, CSS, Python, Flask, and web dev inside correctional education programs.

• 🏗 Web Development Projects
  → Rebuilding local websites like Augusta Downtown Alliance from templates to custom, responsive, accessible digital presences.

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🧠 Learning & Impact

Started in 2023 with zero tech experience. No laptop skills, no GitHub, no roadmap — just fire.

• Self-taught full-stack development: Flask, JS, Jinja, CLI scripting
• Earned certifications from Google, UC Davis, University of Michigan, and multiple online courses
• Progressed from student to TA, teaching others to build tools that matter
• Build software that runs offline, under pressure, and without excuses

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⚔️ My Ethos

• Code like your life depends on it.
• No fluff. No gimmicks. Just function and impact.
• If it doesn’t run offline, it’s not ready for the real world.
• Accessibility > Aesthetics. Clarity > Cleverness.

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🛠 Dev Arsenal

• Languages: Python, JavaScript, HTML5, CSS3, Bash, Batch
• Frameworks & Libraries: Flask, Django, Jinja, Bootstrap, Vite
• Tools & Environments: Visual Studio Code, BrowserSync, PyInstaller, Node.js
• Focus Areas: Full-stack web dev, front-end design, back-end logic, educational tools

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💼 Featured Projects

🥖 Maine Bread of Life

Node.js & Bootstrap-powered nonprofit site, fully custom and built for impact.

• 🔧 Node.js backend + Bootstrap/React/Vanilla.js frontend
• 🦾 JSON-LD structured data for rich SEO
• 🧭 WCAG-accessible, mobile-first, zero-bloat

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🏙 Augusta Downtown Alliance

Rebuilding local pride with custom web development.

• Flask + JS built from scratch
• ADA compliant, responsive, blazing fast
• Moving away from WordPress drag-and-drop to authentic, handcrafted web experiences

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🧑‍🏫 Teaching & Mentorship

• TA @ MIT’s Brave Behind Bars — teaching Flask, HTML, and full-stack concepts inside correctional facilities
• TA @ Code Your Dreams — mentoring new developers starting from scratch

Real dev skills change lives — even behind bars.

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📫 Connect & Explore

• 🌐 mainebreadoflife.org
• 📸 Screenshot:
• 🎥 Tour of ART's House

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“Build. Teach. Learn. Repeat.”