Tianci Hu Marrero

~ About Me ~

I am a multilingual translator turned full-stack programmer. In my past career, I travelled around Asia, published translations of classic literary works, coached & evaluated other translators. I discovered programming because I wanted to automate my translation workflow without paying hundreds of dollars. Before I knew it I was spending entire evenings learning programming. Software engineering has allowed me to solve thorny, murky problems that I could not approach before. It also helped me become a more detail-oriented and persistent person.

~ Education ~

B.A in Russian and French Literature, Kenyon College (GPA 3.5)

My DIY Cost-Nothing Computer Science Degree:

I chose not to receive a formal education in Computer Science because I enjoy imposing discipline and structure on myself without external presence. Below is my completely internet-sourced curriculum:

CS050 Harvard Intro To Computer Science
CS110 Web Musketeers: Html, CSS, Javascript
CS150 React, Redux, and NextJS
CS170 Python and Data Visualizations
CS180 Linux and Bash Basics
CS210 Basics Of Operating Systems
CS230 Java Programming
CS250 Intermediate Data Structures
CS270 Hardware, Computer Architecture, Compilers
CS300 Distributed Systems in Theory
CS340 Distributed Systems in Practice
CS310 Networking Protocols
CS380 Linux Device Drivers

~ Projects & Open Source Contribs ~

Name	Description	Tech/tools
Redis Queue	Revamped old documentation; added commandline monitoring features.	Python & Pytest
Immigence	A data service site that takes user request and present immigration data visualizations per case range. The data is collected with my own automated daily scraping bots.	Flask, Matplotlib, Bokeh, Redis, AWS RDS & EC2
BookList	A Social Media site (in beta) for book enthusiasts. Users can compile reading lists, share and collect others' list, and one-click add a whole list to cart on AbeBooks.com.	React, Redux, Node, MongoDB

~ Work Experience ~

Programmer Fellow

Recurse Center (March - June, 2023)
Recurse Center is a selective retreat for curious programmers to explore their intellectual interests and collaborate.
- Wrote toy Assemblers & Compilers, and Operating Systems.
- Studied Censorship Resistant Network Protocols & Data-intensive Application Design.
- Created a Django Chat App with Chat GPT integration with batchmates.

Translator & Technical Writer

Self-Employed (December 2016 - February 2023)
- Transcreated API-documentation from Chinese to English for English-speaking developers.
- Created marketing copies and documentation for CRM software vendors and fintech products.
- Published Christian Anderson Fairytales and Mary Karr's "The Liars Club" in Chinese.
- “Translating For Tech” trainer for Proz.com, world’s biggest translators’ marketplace.

~ Skills ~

Abstraction and Cleanliness in Code

I believe that all code should state abstract patterns rather than perform a specific, contingent task. Unless I am 100% sure something will only be done once or twice, ever, I don't hardcode anything. Formatting and good naming conventions are important to me, because they remove cognitive clutter and allow me to focus on the crux of my tasks.

Collaborate & Communicate

I believe in saying exactly what I mean while remaining civil & open. Years of running my own business and doing customer support has helped me hone the skills of effective communication. My multicultural backgrounds give me an insight into the true diversity of values, traditions, and temperaments, and that have made me a patient, thoughtful person. Also, I enjoy collaboration and comraderie among collaborators. I never hold a narrow-minded competition mindset. I love learning from others and helping others learn to the best of my abilities.

Learn Continuously

Anybody who does not like endless learning probably will not be happy as a software engineer! I love learning new technologies and mental paradigms. Width of knowledge allows me the wisdom to go deep properly in a specific technical domain.

~ Hobbies ~

When I am not coding, I am spending time with my Son and reading my Kindle.

I love cooking, salsa dancing, and learning foreign languages.

As a resident of Flushing, NY, I really love my neighborhood and have taken countless walks around. I love observing the seasons changing and noticing recurring characters in the neighborhood.