Featured Projects
My Easy Tracker
Breakable Toy
Nutrition tracking made fast, simple, and accessible. Users have access to over 10,000 common foods and their nutrition facts with natural language search queries, powered by Nutritionix API integration. After they type what they ate with ordinary language, an Express.js server populates and persists their nutrients log with PostrgeSQL, Knex.js, and Objection.js. A responsive React.js frontend then displays their entries and summary information.
I am passionate about health and wellness and am an avid fitness app user. One of the most common reasons people tell me they do not track their nutrition is because it is tedious and time-consuming. Even the best of these apps can overwhelm users with the amount of inputs they require. My Easy Tracker aims to expand the fitness app audience by simplifying user input and delegating the heavy lifting to the backend.
Boston Burger Reviews
Users can view and review a curated selection of burgers available in the Greater Boston Area. They can enjoy a fast, responsive React UI that allows them to easily navigate to different restaurants and menu items. An Express server persists users' reviews, adding them to a Postgresql database with Objection queries.
This group project was a premium opportunity to learn and implement Agile methodologies and Git workflow. I and my colleagues managed project tasks with well-organized Trello boards. Consistent pair programming refined my development-related communication skills. One of our biggest wins was the positive team culture we created to promote long-term sustainability.
About John Zaremba
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Technical Interests
Web Applications, Frontend Development, Backend Development, React, and JavaScript.
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University/College Attended
Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary; University at Albany, SUNY
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Degree Received
M.Div.; BA in **Psychology**
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Hobbies/Interests
Volunteer work with local churches, music composition, musical performance, calisthenics, chess, and poetry.
Get to know John Zaremba
What are you looking for in your next role?
I am looking for opportunities to grow and learn in my new craft as a software developer. I recognize that there is still a whole world of skills and knowledge to gain in this industry, and that energizes me. I am seeking a company with a growth-oriented culture and ample opportunities to develop my expertise in the field.
Why did you decide to change career and/or educational paths? What was your prior path and how did you end up down that road initially?
I have been working in education for the past four years. I was initially drawn to teaching because of my passion for growth. I found a tremendous amount of satisfaction helping students grow into more curious, thoughtful versions of themselves, especially during a pandemic. But the instability in education brought about by the pandemic has left me craving opportunities for myself to grow and learn. I see those opportunities to grow in the tech industry, which has proven itself nimble and adaptable during otherwise unpredictable times.
Where have you been involved in the tech community (events attended, volunteer activities, etc.)?
I am still fresh to the tech community and have not attended any events during my time at Launch Academy. But post-graduation I am eager to attend local events to broaden my exposure to the industry with organizers like Boston AI Developers Group, Green Software Foundation, Boston Software Crafters, GDG Boston Android, and Boston Healthcare Technology Community.
What has been the most fulfilling aspect of your journey towards becoming a web developer? What's been your biggest challenge and how have you overcome it?
The most fulfilling aspect of becoming a web developer has been discovering a vibrant, curious, and collaborative community in tech. Launch Academy’s growth-oriented culture has not only challenged me with a rigorous, cutting-edge curriculum–its staff has inspired me with their tireless support and positivity. This infectious positive culture has spread throughout my entire cohort. I love that my peers and I view each other as colleagues rather than competition. Everyone has been eager to collaborate, ask questions, and provide support. The biggest technical challenge that I have faced was my introduction to SQL and databases. It was a completely separate skillset from the JavaScript I had been learning. ER diagrams looked like circuit boards. I made sure to give myself extra time for experimentation. I broke down the trees of tables one query at a time, slowly branching out and becoming more comfortable with the structure. I also made full use of Launch Academy’s extra clinics and support to gain as much exposure as I could on this new topic.
If you had an unlimited budget and resources, what would you build?
I would build a better elderly care system. I dream that, after a life’s worth of contributing to society, laying down the bricks for following generations to walk and build upon, people would be able to enjoy their remaining days in a rich community with quality healthcare. During my times of community service with nursing home residents and geriatric unit patients, it has always saddened me to see how lonely they felt. This has also been one of the most vulnerable populations during the pandemic, accounting for a staggering 50 percent of deaths in this country during the first year. If money were not an object, I would build a system of care that would get people excited about growing old.