Hi, I'm Liliana
A self-employed Web Developer based in San Antonio, Texas looking to expand my skillset and knowledge in Bioinformatics. I'm currently attending Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&M-SA) getting my Bachelor's of Science in Computer Science while minoring in Business Administration. I'm also a student worker for A&M-SA's Web Development Team and have a background in JavaScript and Python as well as learning other web technologies such as Tailwind CSS and React Native.
Learning Self-Defense with Responsibility
Aside from being a college student and student worker, I am also a blue belt in jiu-jitsu. I have been training for roughly three and a half years, and I love it. At first, I didn't realize that learning martial arts would change my perspecitve on life, but it did. It taught me more than discipline; it taught me humility, awareness, and appreciation for the good things in this world.
There is a level of responsibility that comes with learning how to defend yourself. To me, that responsibility is not about learning how to hurt someone or proving that you can fight. It is about knowing when to stay calm, when to walk away, and how to protect yourself only when necessary. I think there is a meaningful difference between learning how to fight and learning how to defend yourself. One can come from ego, while the other requires maturity, discipline, and self-control. Jiu-jitsu has taught me that the more capable you become, the more careful you should be with that ability.
Fundraising Director - ACM Student Chapter at TAMUSA
Serving as the Fundraising Director for the ACM Student Chapter at Texas A&M University-San Antonio has taught me how to engage with both my local community and my college peers. I have helped raise funds to support future ACM activities while participating in community events such as Lights of Esperanza and Festival de Cascarones. One of the most meaningful parts of this experience has been giving back to my alma mater by speaking with students about opportunities in the technology industry and sharing my own academic, professional, and life experiences with young women who may be considering similar paths.
My Growth in Coding & Web Development
I started my journey in coding and web development knowing virtually nothing about either field. I began by teaching myself HTML and gradually built my skills through hackathons, course projects, LeetCode problems, textbooks, tutorials, and hands-on development. I lost every hackathon I participated in, but those experiences were valuable because they showed me where my skills were and where they needed to be.
The journey has been challenging and, at times, discouraging, but I do not regret taking it. Programming has taught me much more than how to write code. It has made me more creative, strengthened my problem-solving skills, taught me how to work as part of a team and take leadership when necessary, and forced me to learn from many mistakes. Most importantly, I have learned to break complicated problems into smaller, manageable tasks and to recognize when a simpler solution is better than introducing unnecessary complexity.