From Nurse to Software Engineer: My Journey
A story of determination, learning, and career transformation.
👋 Hi, I’m Ross Rosales
Software Engineer · C# / .NET · Azure · Google Summer of Code Alumni
Self-taught software engineer with production experience at Microsoft, TruStage, and KDE Krita. I build reliable back-end systems, contribute to globally adopted open-source software, and bring a unique perspective shaped by a background in healthcare.
Projects
Google Summer of Code - Selection Action Bar
Developed a new Selection Action Bar in Krita as part of Google Summer of Code, enhancing efficiency for digital artists and contributing production-quality features to a globally adopted open-source platform
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AI Chat Bot
I created an AI Chat Bot using JavaScript, React, Node.js, and Meta's Llama AI, to communicate with your favorite character / historical figure
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Krita Open Source
Krita is a popular open-source digital painting software that I contributed to by assisting with documentation and translations, helping improve accessibility and usability for the global community.
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Automated Guided Vehicles
I created a GUI for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) that allows operators to input load IDs and display target locations, optimizing the load tracking and navigation in warehouse automation systems.
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Toolhub Records
I developed a gamified web app for Toolhub that simplifies editing tools by allowing users to select difficulty levels based on missing fields, earning points and rewards while enhancing the tool cataloging experience.
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Hobby Match
I built a full-stack networking application using JavaScript, React, Node.js, and Express on GCP and Firebase using Firestore, Authentication, and Hosting for seamless performance and data management.
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ESLint - Open Source
I contributed to the ESLint open-source project by enhancing its React and Import plugins, improving test coverage and issue resolution, and streamlining bug reporting processes for better community collaboration.
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Vital
A Python, Kivy, and SQLite3-based application designed to document vital signs and progress notes, automatically recording entries with accurate timestamps for efficient tracking of patient data.
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Web Scraper API
The web-scraper-api is an API that scrapes and returns data about recent mass-shootings in the USA in JSON format, providing easy access to the latest news and incidents through the /data domain path.
View ProjectExperience
Software Engineer II
TruStage
2024 - Present- C#
- .NET
- Azure
- Microservices
Built 3+ backend microservices serving 10K+ users across life insurance and annuity platforms on Azure, reducing release cycle time by 25% and maintaining 99.9% uptime.
Open Source Developer
Google Summer of Code · KDE Krita
2025- C++
- Python
- Qt
Architected a floating action bar in C++/Qt for Krita, adopted by 1M+ users globally, reducing selection workflow steps by 30%.
Software Engineer
Rocrich AGV Solutions
2023 - 2024- C#
- .NET
- SQL Server
- MQTT
Built C#/.NET middleware integrating AGV systems with WMS/ERP platforms, reducing deployment time by 20% and increasing fleet utilization by 15%.
Software Engineer Apprentice
Microsoft
2023- Scala
- Azure
- KQL
- Power BI
Optimized real-time ETL pipelines for Microsoft 365 telemetry using Scala and Azure, filtering 100K+ false-positive logs daily and cutting pipeline latency from 2 hours to 90 minutes.
Software Engineer Fellow
Major League Hacking
2022- JavaScript
- Mocha
- ESLint
Improved ESLint React accessibility plugin test coverage by 110%, contributing 6+ PRs adopted by 1M+ developers globally and cutting issue resolution time from 20 to 14 days.
Blog
Explore my latest articles and insights on software engineering, technology, and personal development.