The first time you meet her, you might think she’s reserved. But then you find out she’s performed standup comedy, and all assumptions crumble to the floor. Meet Anastasia, our new pug-loving developer who eagerly writes code for our clients and generously pours herself into the Pittsburgh web community.
Anastasia started out earning an associate’s degree in graphic design and then transferred to Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh to join their then-new web design program. There she gained an introductory knowledge of a few web languages—HTML, CSS, PHP—and realized a quenchless thirst for more. So she taught herself to code. She read books, attended meetups, and racked up every point, every badge available from several online web courses. She started doing contract work and even landed a couple noteworthy projects for Dick’s Sporting Goods and for an up-and-coming singer featured on The Voice. Those experiences and a few others led Anastasia to develop the skills needed to join the team at Sparkbox.
Each new layer of Anastasia’s individuality reveals something cooler than the last. She’s a Google Developer Group event organizer, a Girl Develop It chapter leader, competitive powerlifter, an ice hockey player, and an AIGA board member currently organizing a pumpkin-carving event called “GUTS” to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. She also dedicates her time to a hoodie-wearing pug, Brody, who has his own Instagram account. This schedule keeps her wildly busy and demands a lot of energy, but it doesn’t slow her down. “Why would I want to rest when I could be practicing more slapshots?”
Stop by and say hi to our muscled new friend and teammate. You’ll know it’s her by the protein shake in one hand and the spoon filled with peanut butter in the other.
