Professional Experience

Technical Work, Independent Projects, and Professional Experience

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About These Projects

This page highlights a collection of personal projects and professional experiences developed both inside and outside of formal coursework. Together, they reflect an interest in practical problem-solving, system design, and learning through hands-on development.

Many of these projects were driven by personal curiosity and a desire to build tools that could simplify everyday tasks or provide flexible solutions when needed. Rather than building solely for assignments, I focused on creating applications that were usable, adaptable, and grounded in real-world scenarios.

Collectively, these experiences demonstrate independent learning, iterative development, and the ability to translate ideas into functional systems.

Sutton Elliott

Professional Experience

May 2026 – Aug 2026 · 4 mos

Sidewalk AI — Software Engineering Intern

Dallas, TX · Remote · Full-Stack, AI Agents, CI/CD

Worked as a Software Engineering Intern at an early-stage AI startup building an agentic conversational platform. Contributed to production code across the full stack, building features and designing REST APIs. The stack centered on TypeScript, Python, and JavaScript, powering an Angular frontend with real-time voice interaction controls and a Node.js/Express backend connected via REST APIs to a Python-based AI agent.

  • Used Claude Code throughout to accelerate development, debugging, and code review
  • Built and maintained CI/CD pipelines with Docker and Git-based workflows, including deployment approvals and production monitoring
  • Worked directly with the founding team on both functional design and technical creation
  • Implemented security improvements such as rate limiting and content security policies
  • Improved the AI agent's ability to transcribe and summarize potentially ambiguous voice input correctly
Sidewalk AI
May 2023 – Aug 2025

Camp Eagle — Group Camp Counselor

Leadership, Mentorship, Program Facilitation

Served as a Group Camp Counselor at Camp Eagle over three summers, supporting a faith-based mission focused on Christ-like character development through outdoor adventure, authentic relationships, and biblical truth. In this role, I led middle and high school students through intentionally designed experiences that combined physical challenge, relational growth, and spiritual formation.

  • Led and supervised groups of students through high-energy outdoor activities including rock climbing, hiking, and team-based challenge courses
  • Facilitated small group discussions and devotionals to encourage reflection, discipleship, and faith-centered personal growth
  • Learned to approach leadership with flexibility as a strategy, adapting plans, communication, and activities to meet the unique needs and dynamics of each group
  • Prioritized camper safety, inclusion, and engagement while navigating changing conditions and real-time challenges
  • Developed strong leadership, conflict resolution, and mentoring skills within a dynamic and faith-driven environment
Jun 2021 – Jul 2022

Raising Cane's — Trainer and Shift Manager

Frisco, TX · Team Leadership, Training, Operations

Worked as a Shift Manager and certified trainer at Raising Cane's, overseeing shift-level operations while training new hires on food safety, customer service, and operational standards in a high-volume fast-casual environment.

  • Directed weekly training and performance coaching for a 10-person team, ensuring consistent execution of standard work and high-quality production specifications
  • Managed shift-level operations including scheduling, inventory checks, and cash handling to keep the restaurant running smoothly during high-volume periods
  • Served as a certified trainer, onboarding new crew members on food safety protocols, POS systems, and customer service standards
  • Coordinated opening and closing procedures, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations
Mar 2018 – Mar 2021

Braum's — Trainer and Crew Member

Frisco, TX · Customer Service, Food Safety, Training

Worked as a crew member and trainer at Braum's throughout high school, gaining an early foundation in customer service, food preparation, and workplace responsibility across three years of consistent employment.

  • Onboarded and trained over 50 new employees in efficient operational workflows and quality standards to drive team performance and service excellence
  • Rotated across multiple stations — front counter, food prep, and drive-thru — building versatility and reliability in a fast-paced environment
  • Maintained food safety and cleanliness standards in accordance with company and health code guidelines
  • Built a reputation for dependability, consistently taking on additional shifts and training responsibilities over three years

Certifications

Microsoft Azure AI Fundamentals Certificate

Microsoft Certified: Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)

Earned Microsoft certification validating a foundational understanding of artificial intelligence concepts, including machine learning, computer vision, and Azure-based AI services, with an emphasis on practical cloud applications and responsible AI principles.

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Building with the Claude API Certificate

Building with the Claude API

A developer-focused course covering API fundamentals through advanced AI application architecture — prompt engineering, tool use, retrieval-augmented generation, prompt caching, and building agent-based systems.

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Professional Scrum Product Owner I Certificate

Professional Scrum Product Owner I (PSPO I)

Earned Scrum.org certification validating an intermediate understanding of the Scrum framework and how to apply it to maximize product value, including agile project management, backlog ownership, and product management practices.

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Featured Projects

EcoNest smart home dashboard screenshot
01

EcoNest — Smart Home AI System

Python Flask Docker MySQL Home Assistant Raspberry Pi Zigbee Tailscale Kasa Govee Blink

EcoNest is a full-stack smart home automation system deployed in a live residential environment, integrating 84 devices across Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and cloud APIs. The backend runs on a Dockerized Home Assistant instance hosted on a Mac Mini, with data flowing from devices through custom logger scripts into a Flask API and MySQL database. A reasoning layer sits on top of the pipeline to enable intelligent automation decisions based on real-time sensor input.

  • Built a production-deployed smart home system from the ground up — not a demo — spanning embedded hardware, cloud APIs, and a live web interface
  • Unified 84 heterogeneous IoT devices across Zigbee, Wi-Fi, and cloud protocols under a single full-stack architecture
  • Delivered a fully functional system to a supervising professor, demonstrating that a student-built solution could handle real-world deployment complexity
  • Designed an end-to-end data pipeline from hardware integration through a Flask API, MySQL database, and AI reasoning layer
GameSense game search engine screenshot
02

GameSense — Game Search Engine

Python Flask TF-IDF Cosine Similarity IGDB API

GameSense is a content-based game recommendation and search engine built on a dataset of 25,000 titles sourced from the IGDB API. The system applies TF-IDF vectorization and cosine similarity to match user queries against game descriptions, genres, and metadata with meaningful relevance ranking. A Flask web application serves as the frontend, providing an intuitive interface for search and discovery.

  • Applied information retrieval concepts — TF-IDF and cosine similarity — to a real, large-scale dataset without relying on an external search service
  • Built a functional search engine and user-facing product that demonstrates how NLP techniques translate into practical tools
  • Enabled natural language search and discovery across 25,000 game titles using a custom data pipeline from raw API data to a live interface
TAMU Transit Voice app screenshot
03

TAMU Transit Voice — Accessible Bus Assistant

Next.js TypeScript CSS Web Speech API Speech Synthesis API OpenWebUI (Gemini 2.0)

TAMU Transit Voice is a voice-first web prototype designed to make the Texas A&M bus system accessible to low-vision and visually impaired students. The interface replaces the existing map-based app with a single microphone button and spoken, AI-generated responses, integrating the browser's Web Speech API for input and Speech Synthesis API for audio output, backed by TAMU's OpenWebUI platform.

  • Addressed a real accessibility gap in the TAMU bus app — which is built entirely around a visual, map-based interface — by designing voice as the primary interaction model
  • Validated the concept through a structured usability study: participants completed bus-related tasks significantly faster using the voice prototype than the original app
  • Users rated the system 5/5 for independent usability and 4.6/5 for ease of use in post-study surveys
  • Demonstrated that a lightweight voice-first interface can meaningfully reduce cognitive load for users who struggle with visual navigation
Professional portfolio website screenshot
04

Professional Portfolio Website (This Website)

HTML CSS JavaScript

Designed and developed a personal portfolio website to present projects, academic background, and technical skills in a clear and professional format. The site serves as both a personal brand and a centralized showcase of work.

  • Designed a recruiter-friendly layout with clear navigation and structured content
  • Implemented responsive design to ensure usability across desktop and mobile devices
  • Integrated dynamic UI components, including interactive carousels and animations
  • Structured the site for future extensibility and ongoing iteration
Google Docs sidebar add-on screenshots
05

Google Docs Add-on

Google Apps Script JavaScript HTML

Designed and developed a custom Google Docs sidebar add-on to streamline document workflows and reduce repetitive manual tasks by consolidating multiple utilities into a single interface.

  • Integrated Google Drive and Gmail APIs to automate document saving, emailing, and file management
  • Implemented Find & Replace functionality, digital signature insertion, and document duplication features
  • Designed a clean and intuitive sidebar UI focused on usability and workflow efficiency
  • Organized the codebase to support modular features and future expansion
AdventureWorks database ER diagram
06

Database Analytics Dashboard

SQL Python JDBC MySQL (AdventureWorks)

Developed an interactive analytics dashboard for exploring enterprise-scale employee, department, and sales data using the AdventureWorks database. The project emphasized database design, query optimization, and data analysis.

  • Wrote complex SQL queries utilizing joins, subqueries, aggregation, and filtering to extract meaningful insights
  • Implemented JDBC connectivity to execute queries and retrieve results programmatically
  • Connected backend database operations to a graphical user interface for interactive data exploration
  • Designed queries with performance and scalability considerations in mind