Duke Diary Dispatch: Tiny Fixes on App for Big Impact

Alex Pieroni and the Code+ team following their presentation in the Allen Building board room.
Alex Pieroni and the Code+ team following their presentation in the Allen Building board room.

This is the latest in a series of diary entries from Alex Pieroni, a Duke student staying close to home this summer and doing a Code+ program in Durham.

This summer has been an absolute whirlwind, and it's immensely satisfying to see all our hard work culminating as we tie up loose ends in Durham. Working closely with my Code+ team has been nothing short of enriching, especially as we pour our efforts into building the final functionalities of our app.

Witnessing Campus Mail Services interact with our tool has been a priceless experience, granting us invaluable insights into their user experience and allowing us to tailor our app to cater to their needs. It's a rarity to see something I've worked on passing into someone else's hands instead of vanishing into the web's void.

This week was a real standout moment when we presented our project to Duke's Technology Group, led by the remarkable Executive Vice President Daniel Ennis. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, and having fresh eyes on our project injected a renewed sense of motivation and validation. Additionally, sharing our progress with Duke's OIT team, an audience of over 300 experts, has been an incredible learning experience as we soaked up their invaluable knowledge and unique perspectives.

Amidst all the excitement, I undertook a more subtle yet equally vital task. Rather than creating something entirely new or fixing massive errors, my focus centered on increasing our application's speed and reducing latency. It's astonishing how even the tiniest improvements can significantly impact our app's performance. This challenge has been a catalyst for personal growth, and I'm thrilled to say that I approached it with newfound confidence and determination.

This summer, I've embraced variety in my daily tasks, understanding that each action contributes to our overarching goal. Reflecting on how much I've evolved since the beginning of this journey fills me with pride as I now confidently tackle even the most complex issues. This growth has instilled in me a natural drive to solve problems, and I find it invigorating to embrace the subtleties of challenges.

As we near the end of this transformative summer, I'm genuinely grateful for all the experiences and knowledge I've gained. It's been a period of profound personal and professional development. I'm eagerly looking forward to witnessing our app's continued evolution and positive impact after this incredible journey with my Code+ team.