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00

Nek

Open to internships

Hey, I'm Cardin.

I build backends, then take them apart.

Backend developer and cybersecurity student in West Linn, Oregon. Online I go by “Nek”, which is what most people who know me from the internet still call me.

I write mostly Python and TypeScript, keep a few Linux boxes alive, and spend my spare hours on penetration testing and forensics. Right now I'm looking for an internship where I can do more of that.

Email meResume (PDF)Ne-k
Portrait of Cardin Nguyen
Fig. 00 — Cardin Nguyen

01

Background

About me

I got into this through robotics. In 2021 I joined FRC Team 7034 and FTC Team 10332 as a software developer, which in practice meant debugging autonomous routines at 11pm the night before a match with the whole team watching. Four seasons of that taught me more about shipping under pressure than any class has.

Somewhere along the way I got curious about the other direction: not just making a system work, but figuring out where it gives. That curiosity is why I'm on the cybersecurity track now, working through penetration testing and digital forensics.

The rest of my time goes to backend projects, a couple of Linux servers I keep running for no good reason, and teaching kids to code. One of my old Discord bots quietly reached about six thousand servers before I archived it, which is still the strangest thing on my GitHub.

Off the clock I'm usually behind a camera. I shot video professionally for IConnect007 for two years, and I still take the A7R IV out most weekends.

Studying
Computer science, cybersecurity track
Portland Community College now, Oregon State after that
Working
Instructor at Coding With Kids
Teaching programming to students who are quicker than I expect
Volunteering
AV crew at FIRST Robotics events
Same competitions I used to compete in, different side of the glass
Shooting
Sony A7R IV and A7 IV
Stills, video, and the occasional sports sideline

02

6 entries

What I work with

The tools I actually reach for, and what I use each one to do.

  • Cybersecurity

    Penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and digital forensics.

    Burp Suite · Wireshark · Nmap

  • Python

    Automation and security tooling. Usually what I reach for first.

    Automation · Tooling · Scripting

  • TypeScript

    Next.js and Vite applications, including this site.

    Next.js · React · Vite

  • Node.js

    Backend services and small internal tools, deployed on Linux.

    APIs · Docker · Linux

  • Java

    Four seasons of competition robotics code for FRC 7034 and FTC 10332.

    FRC · FTC · Robotics

  • Photo and video

    Sony A7R IV for stills, A7 IV for video. Events and creative work.

    Sony · Live events · Post

  • Also comfortable

    Next.js · React · C++ · Docker · Git · SQL · SSH · IAM

03

From GitHub

Things I have built

Pulled from my GitHub and sorted by whatever I touched most recently, so this list stays honest.

See everything on GitHub

04

Off the clock

When I'm not writing code

The parts of my life that do not compile.

Behind a camera

I shoot stills on a Sony A7R IV and video on an A7 IV. For two years that meant running multi-camera setups and live switching for IConnect007 at trade shows in Anaheim. These days it is mostly whatever catches my eye on a weekend, plus the occasional sports sideline.

See what I have been shooting

On repeat

Nothing gets written without something playing. This pulls live from my Spotify, so it is genuinely whatever is on right now.

Spotify

Checking…

05

Reach me

Say hello

I read everything that comes in, and I answer faster than I probably should. Internships, freelance backend work, security projects, or just a question about a repo, all fair game.

cardin@nguyen.ink