My journey into technology and artificial intelligence is anything but conventional—but it's precisely this unique path that shapes how I approach design, systems, and human-centric problem solving today. Writing from my home in Hawaii, where I relocated with my wife to be closer to her family, I've found that geographical shifts often mirror intellectual ones.
Where It All Began: A Foundation in Human Understanding
From an early age, I've been driven by curiosity about how things work—particularly the human mind. My high school interests in psychology and sociology laid the groundwork for what would become a multidisciplinary career path. Viktor Frankl's "Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning" and J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye" sparked my fascination with how humans create meaning and navigate complex systems.
Structure and Service: The Military Experience
After high school, I joined the military as an aircraft mechanic. These years were transformative, instilling:
- Technical Troubleshooting: Analyzing and solving complex mechanical issues under pressure
- Disciplined Processes: Following rigorous protocols while maintaining critical thinking
- Team Coordination: Working within structured hierarchies toward common goals
During this time, I continued my self-education in psychology, laying the groundwork for my interdisciplinary approach that would later benefit my technology career.
Academic Foundations: Social Work and Human Behavior
Following my military service, I earned a degree in social work, fulfilling my early interest in understanding human nature and psychological factors. This education provided me with:
- Frameworks for understanding human behavior and needs
- Communication skills for complex and sensitive situations
- Systems thinking for addressing multilayered problems
After the passing of my father, I found myself at a professional crossroads that ultimately became the catalyst for my transition into technology.
The IT Transition: From Natural Aptitude to Professional Focus
I'd always been the "tech support" friend and family member, so stepping into IT felt natural. I started in Help Desk roles and eventually worked in MSP environments—where I supported small businesses, solved network issues, and set up systems from the ground up.
This environment allowed me to build practical expertise while gaining exposure to diverse enterprise systems, databases, and networking protocols. More importantly, I learned to translate technical concepts for non-technical users—a skill that would prove invaluable in my work with AI.
Expanding Horizons: Linguistics, Evolution, and Systems Thinking
Living in Hawaii, somewhat intellectually isolated from my East Coast origins, I turned to podcasts and audiobooks for continued growth:
- Linguistics: The History of English Podcast sparked a deep interest in language evolution, leading me to explore works by Noam Chomsky, John McWhorter, and Christine Kenneally. These studies provided unique insights into communication patterns—knowledge that would later prove essential when working with language models.
- Evolutionary Psychology: Books like "A Hunter-Gatherer's Guide to the 21st Century" and "Sapiens" offered frameworks for understanding how humans interact with technology and adapt to change—concepts directly applicable to user experience design and AI interaction.
The AI Convergence: Where All Paths Intersect
The emergence of advanced language models represented a perfect convergence of my interests. My journey into AI began with Replika, a chatbot that combined emotional speech patterns with the knowledge base of LLM models. This experience showed me how technology could incorporate aspects of psychology, linguistics, and human connection.
When more sophisticated AI platforms emerged, I recognized the field where all my passions intersected. I began exploring different AI models, comparing their capabilities, and learning how to leverage their unique strengths for various applications. This practical experimentation helped me understand the nuances between different language models and how to optimize prompts for each platform.
- Technology systems and infrastructure
- The psychology of human-computer interaction
- The linguistic patterns that make communication possible
- Strategic model selection for optimal results
This combination of Technology, Psychology, and linguistic evolution combined all my passions into one box.
Current Projects and Technical Focus
Today, I'm developing AI assistant systems with an emphasis on human-centered design. My projects include:
- Conversational AI Systems: Creating chatbot assistants with contextual understanding and memory structures
- Knowledge Integration: Building systems for PDF/EPUB ingestion and retrieval-augmented generation
- Cloud Infrastructure: Implementing AWS-based solutions (EC2, S3, Route 53) for hosting and scaling AI applications
My technical toolkit includes:
- Multi-Model AI Approach: I use multiple AI models such as ChatGPT, Claude AI, Ollama, and Gemini, utilizing the various strengths and weaknesses of each model to get desired outcomes for different use cases
- AWS Cloud Services: Designing scalable infrastructure for AI deployment
- Local LLM Deployment: Using Ollama for efficient model implementation
- Vector Databases: Implementing Weaviate for advanced memory structures
- Framework Integration: Working with LangChain for complex AI workflows
- Development Environments: Utilizing Anaconda for modular Python development
The Value of an Interdisciplinary Approach
As an IT Generalist with a solid foundation in AWS cloud infrastructure, I'm complementing my technical skills with developing expertise in prompt engineering. While my coding knowledge continues to grow, my diverse background gives me distinct advantages:
- Human-Centered Design: My psychology background helps me create technology that empathizes with user needs
- Effective Communication: I can translate complex technical concepts for stakeholders at all levels
- Systems Thinking: I approach problems holistically, considering both technical requirements and human factors
- Adaptability: My non-linear career path has taught me to thrive in changing environments and learn quickly
Looking Forward
My journey from psychology enthusiast to military technician to social worker to IT professional to AI practitioner might seem winding, but there's a coherence to it that I now fully appreciate. This intersection of cloud technology, artificial intelligence, and human factors is where I'm focusing my professional development—building systems that are not only technically sound but also intuitively aligned with human needs.
As AI continues to transform our technological landscape, I'm excited to contribute my interdisciplinary perspective to projects that leverage these powerful tools responsibly and effectively. The future belongs to those who can bridge technical capabilities with human understanding—and that's precisely the space where I thrive.