Alyssa Secrist

Values

I tend to be pretty firm what I believe and what I stand for. If something is worth doing, it's worth making it fun, and anything less than your all is unacceptable. On the same token, your best is all you can give and all anyone can ask of you. The only true failure is is to give up. This is how I function in my personal life and in my work, it is what I expect of myself and of everyone around me. My best and your best might not be the same thing, and that's ok, but as long as that's what we're all giving, I'm happy. I am also very passionate about human rights and civility. I believe it is crucial for us all to care about other people as much as we care about ourselves, and to always bear in mind that you never know what kind of day someone may have had so you should do your best not to add to whatever they may be going through.

One of these days...

I have tons and tons and tons of dreams, which is why it took me so long to figure out what I wanted to be when I grow up! There are a few that are absolutely top of my list though.

My ultimate goal is to have a fully self sufficient homestead on which I can raise animals, grow crops, generate my own energy, collect my own water, etc.

As for the meantime, I want create a Replicator. Don't worry, I'm talking Star Trek, not Stargate! Obviously this would be a huge project requiring a large team, a lot of chemistry and engineering, mechanics, and so on, but I genuinely think that a Replicator could go a very long way in solving (or at least helping) a lot of the world's problems.

Next up is a vastly expansive and immersive Dungeons and Dragons video game. I know things like Baldur's Gate exist, but I'm talking way way bigger. Think expansive open-world like Elder Scrolls, immersive storyline, characters, and decision-making of Dragon Age, and character creation of both plus The Sims...3 specifically.

The last is another video game: The Bible. I want to create a series based on Biblical stories, and spare no detail. Regardless of anyone's stance on the Christian religion, the Bible has a lot of intense stories with everyone's favorite plot characteristics: love, betrayal, adventure, battle, survival, and under-dogs coming out on top. If the execution was right, they could make for some seriously fun games!

Interests

Outside of coding, I have a myriad of interests and frequently find myself wanting to do or try all the things. I love creating! Obviously coding can be a creative outlet, but beyond that I love to draw with both traditional and digital tools, I've tried my hand at sculpting, wood whittling, crochet, loom knitting, and painting. It's rare to find me without music playing either in the background or at full blast and rocking out. Im also definitely a bit of a nerd, and not just because I code! I love playing D&D with friends on the weekends and video games. I plan on getting a garden going in the next couple of years to grow food for my family and start learning how to preserve food in multiple ways beyond modern refrigeration. I also love cooking foreign dishes and baking cupcakes! Side note, in case you couldn't tell by my having 6 cats, I really love animals and have a hard time saying no to cute fuzzy things... 😅