My name is Thomas Pryor, and I've been a professional developer since January 2007, with over 19 years of experience. Here's a look at my journey.

As a child, I spent countless hours playing video games like Super Mario Bros, Zelda, and Sonic. My dream was to turn this passion into a career by becoming a game tester. However, with guidance from my aunt, I realized that game testing might not be the best long-term career option. This realization set me on the path to becoming a software engineer, specializing in web development.

Reflecting on my career choices, I remembered a class I took during my freshman year of high school. It was a Career Enrichment Course (CEC), a college-level course for high school credit. In this class, I learned advanced math, how to etch circuit boards, and the basics of C programming.

We used custom circuit boards to build moving robots, incorporating resistors, IR sensors, and other electronics. I programmed the IR sensor using C to navigate the robot through a maze by following a black line. The robot's final challenge was to drop ping pong balls into a basket. This experience sparked my interest in programming—transforming lines of text into something tangible and impactful.

After discussing this with my aunt, we decided that a career in development was the right path for me. She discovered Neumont College of Computer Science, which offered an accelerated, project-based program where I could earn a Bachelor of Science degree in just 2 1/2 years. At Neumont, I started with the basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and expanded into XML and XSLT. I also delved into object-oriented programming, design patterns, and data modeling, learning both C#/.NET and Java.

Toward the end of my time at Neumont, I was involved in a project for IBM, where I helped develop a Python Regression Tester. My role was to create a web interface for the tester, and I chose PHP as the language for this task. That decision marked the beginning of my long-standing relationship with PHP.

In my final course at Neumont, I secured a job that allowed me to work while completing my degree. Although I began working in late 2006, I consider January 2007 as the official start of my professional career.

I've had the pleasure of holding only five jobs throughout my career, and I wouldn't trade any of them—they each played a crucial role in my personal and professional development. Through STG, I've had the opportunity to consult with various clients, but at the end of the day, I remain dedicated to STG. This has allowed me to focus on my responsibilities, helping to elevate and create solutions that meet clients' needs while looking toward the future.

During this journey, I've continued to learn and grow.