About

Hey, my name is Tessa.

Want the short version? Here’s my résumé.

I’m a software engineer specializing in the intersection of computer graphics programming and fullstack web development. With over 7 years of C++ experience and 4 years focused on graphics programming, combined with 3+ years shipping production web applications, I bring a unique perspective to technical challenges that span from low-level optimization to modern user interfaces.

My journey into graphics programming began during my year studying Mechatronics at Cenit, a German company that develops graphical software for robotics programming and production optimization. This early exposure to the intersection of graphics, mathematics, and real-world applications sparked my interest in computer graphics and performance-critical systems.

I’ve built complete 3D rendering engines using DirectX 11 and OpenGL, developed real-time mesh editing applications, and created computer vision tools using techniques like SIFT feature detection and RANSAC algorithms. On the web development side, I’ve shipped fullstack applications using React, TypeScript, Ruby-on-Rails, and Go, with experience ranging from API design to CI/CD pipeline implementation. My professional experience includes enhancing video review platforms at Shuttlerock that served creative teams across 15+ international markets, where I led automated testing initiatives and created technical training content for fellow engineers. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner and ISTQB Software Tester, I bring systematic approaches to both product development and quality assurance.

I graduated in 2024 with a Computer Science degree (3.6 GPA) from Victoria University of Wellington, where my coursework focused heavily on computer graphics, real-time rendering, and computer vision. I’m fluent in English and German, and have extensive experience working with distributed teams across multiple time zones.

I’m particularly interested in roles that leverage both graphics programming and web development expertise, whether that’s building data visualization tools, optimizing performance-critical web applications, or creating interactive graphics experiences. You can explore my projects on GitHub or read about my current learning and development work in my blog.

Reading List

Up Next

Foundations of Game Engine Development: Mathematics (1E)—Eric Lengyel
The Nature of Code: Simulating Natural Systems (1E)—Daniel Shiffman

Currently Reading…

Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice (3E)—Hughs, van Dam, et al.

Previously Read

Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces (1E)—Andrea & Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau
Beej’s Guide to Network Programming (1E)—Brian “Beej” Hall
Game Programming Patterns (1E)—Robert Nystrom
Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (1E)—Gamma, Helm, Johnson, & Vlissides
UML Distilled (3E)—Martin Fowler
MIT Press: Processing (2E)—Casey Reas & Ben Fry
Effective Java (3E)—Joshua Bloch
Stanford CS106B: Programming Abstractions in C++ (1E)—Eric Roberts
Stanford CS106A: The Art & Science of Java (1E)—Eric Roberts
Oracle Press: Java, A Beginner’s Guide (8E)—Herbert Schildt
Eloquent Javascript (3E)—Marijn Haverbeke
Understanding Complex Information Technology Solutions—Eva Heinrich
SCRUM: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time—Jeff Sutherland
Foundations of Software Testing (ISTQB Certification)—Graham, Black, & van Veenendaal
Beautiful Testing—Tim Riley & Adam Goucher
O’Reilly: Introducing GitHub (2E)—Brent Beer
O’Reilly: The Vi and Vim Editors (7E)—Robbins, Hannah, & Lamb
O’Reilly: Learning the Bash Shell (3E)—Cameron Newham
The Mac Command Line with Terminal—Joe Kissell

Updated: 23 July 2023