For this week’s Enplug Spotlight, we’re featuring our northernmost teammate, Shawn Blakesley! Earlier this month, the Enplug crew road-tripped it up to the Bay Area to watch Shawn tie the knot with Tiffany, his partner-in-crime of more than 10 years. Shawn is one of Enplug’s amazing software engineers and works remotely from Northern California. He earned both his bachelors and masters degrees from California State University Sacramento and has been with Enplug for nearly a year. Read on to learn more.
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What are you most excited about these days?
Definitely my wedding!
Favorite holiday?
I’ve always loved Easter because it sometimes falls on my birthday. And my parents used to stage epic Easter egg hunts in our backyard.
Favorite Game of Thrones character?
I’m still rooting for Ned Stark, and yes I’ve seen all the episodes and know what happens in the books. That doesn’t change my position.
Favorite hobby you’ve picked up?
I don’t really have any hobbies.
When did you start working with Enplug?
April of last year.
What is your fondest Enplug memory?
The time we killed a man and hid the body. And nobody narced… oh wait… But in all honesty I would say my first week at Enplug. Meeting the team and getting to see that everyone was extremely passionate about their work lit a fire under me.
What app do you find yourself using most?
Slack for sure. I’m always getting new messages.
What’s your favorite website?
Stackoverflow.com. I don’t know what I would do without having it to fall back on when code goes awry.
What’s the best part of living in L.A.?
Working remotely from Northern California. So much less traffic from my bed to my computer!
What’s your best recipe?
Bisquick pancake mix. Just add water!
Slack, email, or text?
Slack all day. Slack all night.
Since doing this Q&A, Shawn had his wedding and even repped Enplug at the ceremony rehearsal!
If you could step into the shoes of one person for a day, who would you choose?
I would want to be somebody who knows a lot and is surrounded by a lot of smart people all day. So probably Sergey Brin because he knows what the cutting edge of technology is.
If you could have coffee with someone from the past, who would it be?
I feel most programmers would pick Alan Turing, and there would be a huge fight over who gets to hang out with him. I would win.
What’s the biggest thing you learned about working in tech?
That no matter what the process is, it’s the results that make the difference.
What’s the best thing that happened this year?
Since my wedding is in 3 days, that’s the only thing I can think about.
What’s the best thing that happened this month?
I’m going to be an uncle (again). My sister-in-law is having identical twins!
What’s the last book you read?
Game Programming Patterns by Robert Nystrom. I’m not all the way through it yet, but I’ve enjoyed the chapters I have read.
What’s the last song you listened to?
“I’m Different” by 2 Chainz. I usually listen to some combination of rap, techno and musicals.
What’s the best way to decompress?
Surfing Netflix or HBO Go with Tiffany (my fiancee).
Worst subject in school?
I tended to do poorly in English because I always told the teachers they were wrong. There were two teachers that “got me,” and I did well in their classes.
What is your super power?
I am Batman. I don’t need superpowers.
What is your spirit animal?
Salem Saberhagen from Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
Coffee or tea?
Espresso.
Favorite game?
This is the hardest question for me. I have so many games I love, but the winner has to be Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
Favorite movie of all time?
American Beauty.
Favorite author of all time?
I really like Kurt Vonnegut.
Any hidden talents?
Many. But they are hidden, so I’m still looking for them.
Any advice to your younger self?
Honestly, younger me would ignore most advice I would give him.
What is one skill still unmastered?
Drawing. I really love art, but I draw like a 5-year-old.
Which of these was your favorite question?
“What is your fondest Enplug memory?” Because it made me look back on all the fond memories I have from working here.
Congratulations on getting married! It’s an awesome accomplishment! What are some of your other goals for the year?
My biggest goal is always to learn more programming languages/become a better programmer in the languages I know. But that’s a little too nebulous, so my goal is to catch up on House of Cards.