About Me | My Journey
Coding has become a sincere source of happiness for me. In essence, this is
why I had chosen to make a leap of faith and change career paths.
I had found that while I was successful in physical therapy after I graduated from University of Maryland, I started coding as a hobby and fell in love.
It seemingly felt like there was also an itch I couldn't quite scratch. I yearned for even more growth and learning
with my computer science endeavors.
It was during this period a soul searching that I found inspiration to start mobile application development as my first personal project.
Ultimately, I encountered a problem that I wanted to solve utilizing Kotlin for my Galaxy phone.
I had no prior experience using Kotlin or any kind of programming language prior, but I was adament about
following through and completing my project idea.
Eventually, with a lot of time, and with a lot of determination, I did just that! My very simple 'random
team generating' application was finally functional.
And while my implementation was rather crude at the time--it was riddled with bugs--I had began to realize I
myself had a bug too.
I had discovered catharsis in problem solving, fulfillment in logical train of thought, and satisfaction in
objective and measurable results.
I started to reevaluate my skill set and felt more adept at the challenges presented in Tech.
It feels as if the sky is the limit with programming--imagine what just one person is capable of with
knowledge, proficiency, and a novel idea.
Ultimately it is for these reasons that I strive to make programming my new profession. Without a vestige of
uncertainty, despite many of my seemingly dubious peers
regarding the current job market, I feel a strong sense of resolve, but also genuine happiness in my
technical ambitions.
Prospective Software Engineer
I am actively looking for entry level roles where I can contribute to a team of like-minded yet diverse individuals in an impactful and meaningful way.
- Birthday: March
- Pronouns: He/Him
- Phone: +410 227 8068
- City: Baltimore, USA
- Age: 30
- Degree: Computer Science Bachelor Degree
- Email: michael.r.rigali@gmail.com
- Freelance: Available
Passion, proficiency, and tenacity are, in my opinion, the most important qualities for any successful software engineer. It is my hope that showcasing some of my more recent personal projects below will help corroborate I embody all of the above. Instead of slowing down post graduation, I will only continue to accelerate, improve my quality of work, expand my skill set, and grow as a steadfast individual.
Skills
The following visual representation is an approximation of my skills relative to each other. And while I am proud of how far along my technical prowess has developed, it is objectively true that my charm, or suave for lack of better words, would be an asset to any team/company (I felt compelled to include sarcasm because I am struggling with justifying an arbitrary graph on my portfolio website).
Resume
A PDF version of my resume is available here for download.
Summary
Michael Rigali
Software Engineer in full-stack development, building scalable applications with clean, maintainable code. Reco
- Baltimore, Maryland
- (410) 227-8068
- michael.r.rigali@gmail.com
Education
Computer Science Post Baccalaureate Degree
Summer 2021 - Spring 2025
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
Relevant coursework completed includes:
- Programming Language Fundamentals
- Software Engineering I + II
- Databases
- Operating Systems
- Web Development
- Data Structures
- Analysis of Algorithms
- Discrete Mathematics
- Computer Architecture and Assembly
- Artificial Intelligence
- Open Source Software
- Machine Learning Senior Capstone
Kinesiology Bachelor's Degree
Fall 2013 - Spring 2017
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
General Undergraduate Studies
Fall 2012-Winter 2013
Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD
Extracurricular Activities
2022 - Present
- Oregon State University Hackathon
- Oregon State University Leadership Academy
- University of Maryland Study Abroad
- University of Maryland Competition Boxing & American Muay Thai Academy
- Loyola Greyhound Leadership
- Open Source Software Contributions
Professional Experience
Junior Software Engineer
Spring 2025 – Present
Gnarled Helix LLC, Boston, MA
Product: Browser-based learn-to-code game that teaches JavaScript via in-app scripting. Stack: TypeScript, React, Redux. KPIs: onboarding completion, D1/D7 retention, crash-free sessions.
- Embedded player scripting into the in-game JavaScript runtime with clear examples and guardrails; enabled beta users to author automations, boosting creator engagement and reducing reliance on designer-built content.
- Improved onboarding with a state-driven, context-aware UI (tooltips, doc links, runnable console examples); fewer hint requests and repeat attempts, and faster time-to-first-success.
- Built parameterized enemy AI behaviors and a debug "Enemy Spawner" level to reproduce edge cases quickly; shortened repro time, sped up bug turnaround, and accelerated balance iteration.
- Contributed to two-week sprints and formalized GitHub practices; achieved faster reviews and smoother onboarding supported by clear developer documentation.
Associate Web Developer
Spring 2024 – Winter 2025
Code & Coffee, Baltimore, MD
Community tech nonprofit hosting meetups and open-source projects; I contributed to the website and volunteer onboarding.
- Modernized the website's front end (responsive layout and micro-interactions), improving call-to-action engagement and reducing bounce on event pages.
- Facilitated newcomer sessions (intro circles and pairing), improving the onboarding experience and helping grow the active volunteer base.
Achievements & Awards
Programming Fundamentals Microcredential
Via Oregon State University merited in April, 2023
Loyola University Army ROTC Accolades
Class Rank: 1/33, Army Academic Award, Greyhound Leadership Graduate
Dean's List and or Honor Roll
- Oregon State University
- Baltimore City Community College
- University of Maryland
Volunteer Work
- President's Volunteer Service Award
- Meritorious Award for Outstanding Community Service
Portfolio
Here are some of my projects that I have worked on that are continuously evolving in complexity and improving in functionality.
References
The below-mentioned references would be happy to hear from you. They can verify my success in their respective fields and delineate professional relationships with myself.
"Michael was an especially effective collaborator on a website design for a Baltimore MD local group. He impressed me with his professionalism and aesthetic eye. A true team player for frontend design."
Julian Loiacono
Code & Coffee Organizer
Contact Here
"Michael was an outstanding leader and SCRUM master during our senior capstone project. He kept the team on track, motivated, and consistently went above and beyond in driving our success."
Mike Topp
Eng III Cslt-Data Scientist @ Verizon
Contact Here
"Michael has been helpful in Open Sourcerer's JavaScript documentation and has worked effectively with React. I look forward to seeing him continue to develop as a future SWE."
Robert Brownstein
Ceo & Founder of Gnarled Helix LLC
Contact Here
"Michael has sound clinical judgement, excellent communication skills, and was a valuable asset to our team while he worked at Saint Elizabeth Rehabilitation with Assisted Rehab."
Gabriele Marotta
Director of Rehab, OTR/L
Contact Here
"As a former student of Mike's, I can say he helped me improve my Academic Writing and Research skills significantly. His approach to tutoring was flexible and personable."
Paola Rivera Scherrer
Former Academic Writing/Research Student
Contact Here
Contact Me
Feel free to reach out regarding any inquiries about freelance work, potential entry level opportunities, possible collaboration, and so on.
Location:
Baltimore, Maryland
Email:
michael.r.rigali@gmail.com
Call:
+1 410 227 8068