About
Hey, my name is Tessa.
I’m a computer graphics software engineer. I like building things from scratch, just to see if I can.
Want the short version? Here’s my résumé. Otherwise, read on to learn more about me.
With over 7 years of C++ experience (4 years focused on graphics programming) combined with 3+ years of professional experience shipping production web apps, I bring a unique perspective to technical challenges that span from low-level optimization to modern UIs.
My journey to graphics programming began during my year studying Mechatronics while working at Cenit, a company headquartered in Germany developing industry-leading digital-twin software for offline robotics programming and production-line optimization. This early exposure to the intersection of graphics, mathematics, and real-world applications sparked my interest in computer graphics and performance-critical systems.
I’ve built complete 3D rendering engines using DirectX 11 and OpenGL, developed real-time mesh editing apps, a hydraulic erosion simulator, and created computer vision tools using techniques like SIFT feature detection and RANSAC algorithms. On the web development side, I’ve shipped fullstack applications using React, TypeScript/JS, Ruby-on-Rails, and Go, with experience ranging from API design to CI/CD pipeline implementation.
My professional experience includes enhancing the video review platform at Shuttlerock that served creative teams across 15+ international markets. As a Certified Scrum Product Owner and ISTQB Software Tester, I bring systematic approaches to both product development and quality assurance.
I went back to school in 2020, and graduated in 2024 with a Computer Science degree (3.6 GPA) from Victoria University of Wellington, where my coursework focused heavily on computer graphics, real-time rendering, and computer vision. I’m fluent in English and German, and have extensive experience working with distributed teams across multiple time zones.
I’m particularly interested in roles involving shader development and low-level rendering. Feel free to explore my projects or read about my current learnings and dev work in my blog.
Reading List
Up Next
- Foundations of Game Engine Development: Mathematics (1E)—Eric Lengyel
- The Nature of Code: Simulating Natural Systems (1E)—Daniel Shiffman
Currently Reading…
- Computer Graphics: Principles and Practice (3E)—Hughs, van Dam, et al.
Previously Read
- Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces (1E)—Andrea & Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau
- Beej’s Guide to Network Programming (1E)—Brian “Beej” Hall
- Game Programming Patterns (1E)—Robert Nystrom
- Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object-Oriented Software (1E)—Gamma, Helm, Johnson, & Vlissides
- UML Distilled (3E)—Martin Fowler
- MIT Press: Processing (2E)—Casey Reas & Ben Fry
- Effective Java (3E)—Joshua Bloch
- Stanford CS106B: Programming Abstractions in C++ (1E)—Eric Roberts
- Stanford CS106A: The Art & Science of Java (1E)—Eric Roberts
- Oracle Press: Java, A Beginner’s Guide (8E)—Herbert Schildt
- Eloquent Javascript (3E)—Marijn Haverbeke
- Understanding Complex Information Technology Solutions—Eva Heinrich
- SCRUM: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time—Jeff Sutherland
- Foundations of Software Testing (ISTQB Certification)—Graham, Black, & van Veenendaal
- Beautiful Testing—Tim Riley & Adam Goucher
- O’Reilly: Introducing GitHub (2E)—Brent Beer
- O’Reilly: The Vi and Vim Editors (7E)—Robbins, Hannah, & Lamb
- O’Reilly: Learning the Bash Shell (3E)—Cameron Newham
- The Mac Command Line with Terminal—Joe Kissell
Updated: 16 Dec 2025