I’m a San Diego-based Software QA Engineer who is driven by detail and passionate about performance.
About Me
I’m Dakota Swank, a creative and dedicated software engineer specializing in bringing ideas to life. With a keen eye for detail and a relentless drive for perfection, I take pride in crafting seamless user experiences and robust backend solutions.
I’m passionate about web development and enjoy creating responsive, user-friendly websites and web applications. I love turning ideas into functional and beautiful digital experiences. My focus is on clean design, solid functionality, and creating great user experiences.
My journey in technology began at a young age and has evolved into a professional pursuit of innovative problem-solving and continuous learning. I believe deeply in the power of technology to transform lives, industries, and the world at large.
Outside of coding, I enjoy exploring the outdoors, engaging with the tech community, and pushing the boundaries of my creativity through ongoing projects and collaborations.
Education
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
California State University San Marcos
Graduated: 2023
- Golden Key International Honor Society
- Dean’s List
- GPA: 3.66
Associate Degree for Transfer – Computer Science
MiraCosta College
Graduated: 2021
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
- President’s Permanent Honor Roll
- GPA: 3.76
Experience
Software QA Engineer
Boeing • 2023 – Present
- Executes diverse testing (functional, regression, web services, mobile performance/usability), tracking defects and maintaining detailed documentation of test results.
- Serves as Scrum Master, facilitating all ceremonies, coaching the team on Agile/Scrum principles.
- Develops and maintains multiple automated test scripts using TestComplete, integrating them into Jenkins CI.
- Leads end-to-end QA strategies for major releases, overseeing test planning and documentation.
- Collaborates with development teams to identify, report, and resolve software defects promptly.
Web Development
Hobby • 2018 – Present
- Develops responsive and dynamic web applications using Next.js and React.
- Utilizes Tailwind CSS to create modern, maintainable, and scalable styling solutions.
- Ensures cross-browser compatibility and responsive design across various devices.
- Optimizes applications for performance and accessibility.
- Implements reusable components and follows best practices for clean, efficient code.
Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer
United States Navy • 2014 – 2018
- Held a secret security clearance while performing bridge associated tasks such as standing watch as Helmsman and Lee Helmsman.
- Served as a master helmsman responsible for navigating a 1,092-foot aircraft carrier through critical missions over 12,000 miles and 4 successful Pacific deployments.
- Led a watch team of five seamen as BMOW, ensuring safe operations and clear communication via ship-wide announcements.
- Trained and supervised ship maintenance duties including rigging, painting, deck equipment, and RHIB operations.
Projects
Portfolio Website v2
A sleek, responsive portfolio built with Next.js, TypeScript, and Tailwind CSS. The site showcases professional experience and projects with smooth Framer Motion animations, clean design, and optimized performance. Deployed with Vercel for fast, reliable hosting.
Technologies: Next.js, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, Framer Motion, Vercel
View Project →Portfolio Website v1
First portfolio website — built while learning the fundamentals of HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript — this site features a sleek, responsive design with smooth CSS transitions, clean layouts, and performance optimizations to showcase early projects. Deployed on GitHub Pages for fast, reliable hosting.
Technologies: HTML5, CSS3, Javascript, Github Pages
View Project →FitHub
A fitness application that allows users to browse exercises, create customized workout plans, track their progress, and communicate with other users. The application utilizes a client-server architecture, with a User Module that provides a user-friendly interface for accessing the FitHub server's data tables.
Technologies: Angular, HTML, CSS, TypeScript, Firebase
View Project →Outbreak VR
A virtual reality horror game set in space. The player takes on the role of a character navigating through a dangerous space environment, encountering various obstacles and enemies that can cause damage.
Technologies: Unity, C#
View Project →Musical Light Display
An embedded system utilizing a Nucleo board that uses push buttons to select a Christmas song. When a song plays, three LEDs flash to the notes of the song, the song's name is displayed on an LCD screen, and a potentiometer is used for volume control.
Technologies: C, Embedded Systems, Nucleo Board
View Project →Japenese Translator
Developed a translator that utilizes a deterministic finite automaton (DFA) to adhere to a specific set of rules. Using provided files containing various sentences, the program checks for syntactic and semantic accuracy. If the sentences pass this check, the program accurately parses and translates the story from Japanese to English.
Technologies: C++
View Project →Lexical Analyzer GUI
Created a GUI application using Tkinter that implements a lexical analyzer. It takes the input of source code, reads it line by line, obtains the lexical analysis result, and then parses it into a parse tree.
Technologies: Python, Tkinter
View Project →Data Structures and Algorithms
Assignments and projects from the CS 311 Data Structures & Algorithms class at CSUSM, focusing on implementing various data structures and algorithms.
Technologies: C++
View Project →