Hi there! I’m Isabel Laurenceau (Is-a-bell Lauren-so). Isabel is fine or even Izzy and I use she/her pronouns!
2022 Digital Corps Software Engineering Fellow. Working with usa.gov in TTS @ GSA. Available M-F 8-4:30EST hybrid schedule. I am from Miami, FL but just moved to Arlington, VA so you’ll probably always find me with a sweater on.
I attended University of Florida (UF), for my Bachelor’s and Master’s of Science in Computer Engineering. Previously I worked in the Human Experience Research Lab at UF as a graduate assistant. My research focused on affective computing, accessible voting, and tech policy. I also spent three summers as a Media Democracy Fund Technology Policy Fellow. In 2020, I was placed at the Brennan Center for Justice, in 2019 I was at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and in 2018 I was at Public Knowledge.
My hobbies include dancing, sewing, crochet, knitting, calligraphy and hand lettering. I’ve been doing ballet since I was three and am looking for a new studio up here. When I need to relax I can be found watching HGTV and when I want to get energy I can be found making something with my hands. Chances are if I am working and not in a meeting I will have Daft Punk playing in the background.
I’m a morning person and will usually try to do my hardest work first thing when I feel fresh. I enjoy meetings; however I like to have them grouped or blocked in my day so I can have longer uninterrupted work sessions. I like to focus and complete one task at a time before moving on to something else. During video calls I am an avid chat user rather than a voice person. I am also a planner and love knowing my schedule and meetings ahead of time. I prefer to have time to think/brainstorm/work on a task individually and then come together with teammates and go over our findings rather than jump into collaborative work.
I really value your constructive feedback and communication. I think the early the better, and I will probably ping or ask for it frequently. Any method (email/ slack / video/ call etc) is fine. If the feedback is not initially written to me I’ll probably send a follow up with a summary and ask for clarifications because I want to make sure I am implementing and understanding your feedback correctly.
You can count on me to always have unofficial meeting notes. Writing things down is how I learn and how I make sure I understood what was discussed. I really like listening to people. If you need a springboard or someone to practice a presentation with I’ll be there with an open ear. Organizing gives me great joy in life. As a cohort we did the High5 strengths test and mine were time keeper, problem solver, focus expert, empathizer and deliverer.
You can also always count on me to go grab a coffee.
I like to clearly know what is expected of me. I really appreciate when action items are communicated in meetings and communications. Though I am an ENFJ I am a shy ENFJ and in smaller settings I am more comfortable when others approach me first. Larger settings don’t intimidate me as much and you may find me more vocal in those settings. I ask a lot of questions however I never mean to put anyone on the spot. I will never be offended if the answer is “Let me get back to you on that.” I also really value everyone’s time and promptness. Life happens and sending me a message about any delays is much appreciated.
I’ve jumped around a lot in technologies (iOS dev, web dev, machine learning, low level programming) be it for school, research or internships. I would say I know a little about a lot but I am looking forward to taking a deeper dive into web development. I’ve had basic and light interactions with (used it for only a few projects or it’s been a while since I’ve used it) with C, C++, Java, VHDL, PHP, SQL, Swift, Elixir, Firebase, Express, Django, AWS, Stats, TensorFlow, true Agile.
I’ve had more in-depth and/or recent experience (though I would not call it expertise) with HTML, CSS, Javascript , Python, Bootstrap, React, Node.js, and Git.