Nicolette Mashaba NickiMash17

🚀 ABOUT ME

const nicolette = {
  role: "Software Engineer & Cloud Developer",
  location: "Polokwane, South Africa 🇿🇦 (SAST)",
  graduation: "2026",
  pronouns: "She/Her",
  
  journey: {
    past: "Junior Navigation Officer, South African Navy (2015-2021)",
    present: "Software Engineering Graduate @ CTU",
    future: "Full-Stack Cloud Engineer"
  },
  
  currentFocus: [
    "🎯 AI-Powered Applications",
    "☁️ Cloud-Native Architecture", 
    "📱 Cross-Platform Mobile Development",
    "🤖 NLP & Machine Learning Integration"
  ],
  
  techStack: {
    frontend: ["React", "Next.js", "TypeScript", "Tailwind CSS"],
    backend: ["Node.js", ".NET Core", "FastAPI", "Express"],
    mobile: ["Flutter", "Dart", "BLoC Pattern"],
    cloud: ["Azure", "Firebase", "Docker", "Terraform"],
    ai: ["OpenAI API", "NLP", "Prompt Engineering"],
    databases: ["MongoDB", "SQL Server", "PostgreSQL", "Firestore"]
  },
  
  achievements: [
    "🏆 AIMS Hackathon 2025 Winner",
    "☁️ Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)",
    "📊 Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900)",
    "⭐ CTU Top Performer 2023",
    "🎖️ Former Naval Officer (Strategic Planning & Leadership)"
  ],
  
  impact: {
    aiAccuracy: "+25%",
    timeSaved: "10+ hours/week",
    fuelEfficiency: "-10% in naval operations",
    testCoverage: "80%+"
  }
};

💡 Unique Value Proposition

My background combines military precision with innovative tech solutions. As a former Junior Navigation Officer in the South African Navy, I developed strategic planning and optimization skills—achieving 10% fuel efficiency improvements and 15% reduction in operational downtime. Now, I apply that same analytical rigor to building scalable cloud applications and AI-powered platforms that solve real-world problems.

🛠️ TECHNOLOGY ARSENAL

💻 Core Languages & Frameworks

JavaScript

TypeScript

Python

C#

Dart

React

Next.js

Flutter

⚙️ Backend & Data Infrastructure

Node.js

Express

.NET Core

FastAPI

MongoDB

PostgreSQL

SQL Server

Firebase

☁️ Cloud, DevOps & AI

Azure

Docker

Kubernetes

Terraform

Git

OpenAI

🎨 Design & Development Tools

Tailwind

Vite

VS Code

Postman

Figma

💼 PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

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timeline
    title Career Evolution
    2015-2021 : South African Navy<br/>Junior Navigation Officer<br/>Strategic Planning & Operations
    Oct 2024 : Outlier AI<br/>AI Model Trainer<br/>NLP & Prompt Engineering
    Nov 2025 : Coast IT<br/>Software Engineer Intern<br/>Flutter & Agile Development
    2026 : Seeking Full-Time Role<br/>Cloud & Full-Stack Engineering

🎖️ South African Navy	🤖 Outlier AI	🚀 Coast IT

Junior Navigation Officer	AI Model Trainer	Software Engineering Intern
Simon's Town Naval Base	Remote	Remote
Key Achievements: ⚓ 10% fuel efficiency improvement 🔧 15% operational downtime reduction 👨‍🏫 Mentored junior officers 📊 Strategic planning & optimization Skills Developed: Leadership • Precision • Analytics	Key Achievements: 🧠 Refined 100+ AI prompts 📈 25% model accuracy improvement ⏱️ 10hrs/week time savings 🔍 Built debugging workflows Technologies: Python • NLP • OpenAI • Data Analysis	Key Achievements: 📱 Cross-platform mobile features 🔄 Agile sprint deliverables ✅ Enhanced QA workflows 🤝 Team collaboration Technologies: Flutter • Dart • Firebase • CI/CD

🏆 FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

🤖 EmpowerAI - South Africa's Digital Economic Twin Platform

🎯 Team Lead & AI Architect | NQF Level 6 Capstone Project

South Africa's first AI-powered Digital Economic Twin platform enabling youth to simulate career trajectories, receive AI-driven coaching, and make data-informed decisions about their future.

💡 Revolutionary Features:

AI Career Counselor: OpenAI-powered chatbot for personalized career guidance
CV Intelligence: Automated analysis and improvement recommendations
Interview Simulator: Real-time AI interview practice with feedback
Economic Forecasting: Data-driven salary and job market predictions
Real-Time Dashboards: Interactive visualizations with Recharts

🛠️ Technology Architecture:

Frontend Layer	Backend Services	AI/ML Pipeline	Infrastructure
React 18	Node.js/Express	Python/FastAPI	Microsoft Azure
TypeScript	RESTful APIs	OpenAI GPT-4	MongoDB Atlas
Tailwind CSS	Microservices	NLP Processing	Docker
Recharts	Authentication	Prompt Engineering	CI/CD Pipeline

📊 Technical Highlights:

Microservices architecture with isolated AI service
Real-time WebSocket connections for live coaching
Secure JWT authentication and role-based access
Scalable cloud deployment on Azure
Comprehensive API documentation

🔗 Links: GitHub Repository | Live Demo

🏆 AI Compliance Interrogator - AIMS Hackathon 2025 Winner

🥇 1st Place - Best Team in Application & Visualisation | Team Firefly

AI-powered platform combating human trafficking through intelligent data analysis, real-time risk detection, and pattern recognition using advanced NLP algorithms.

💡 Impact-Driven Features:

Intelligent Risk Detection: OpenAI-powered NLP for identifying trafficking patterns
Real-Time Alerts: Automated notification system for suspicious activities
Interactive Dashboard: Live data visualization and analytics
Secure Processing: Privacy-first architecture with encrypted data handling
Scalable Infrastructure: Azure cloud deployment with auto-scaling

🛠️ Technology Stack:

Frontend	Backend	AI/NLP	Cloud & Data
React	.NET Core 8	OpenAI API	Microsoft Azure
TypeScript	Entity Framework	GPT-4 Turbo	Azure Functions
Tailwind CSS	RESTful APIs	Text Analysis	SQL Server
Real-time Charts	Authentication	Summarization	Blob Storage

📊 Technical Achievements:

99.9% uptime in production
Sub-second response times for risk analysis
Secure, GDPR-compliant data handling
Containerized deployment with Docker
Comprehensive unit and integration testing

🎯 Social Impact: Helping organizations detect and prevent human trafficking through technology

🌱 FitQuest - Gamified Wellness Tracker

📱 Cross-Platform Mobile Innovation

Gamified wellness tracking app featuring an evolving plant companion that grows with your fitness progress. Built with Flutter for seamless iOS, Android, and Web experiences.

💡 Key Features:

Plant Evolution System: Your plant companion evolves based on wellness achievements
Multi-Platform: Single codebase for iOS, Android, and Web
Custom Animations: Smooth Rive animations for plant growth and celebrations
Firebase Backend: Real-time data sync with Cloud Firestore
Clean Architecture: BLoC pattern for scalable state management
Comprehensive Testing: 80% test coverage with unit and widget tests

🛠️ Technology Stack:

Mobile Framework	State Management	Backend	Design & UX
Flutter 3.x	BLoC Pattern	Firebase Auth	Material Design 3
Dart	Provider	Cloud Firestore	Rive Animations
Null Safety	Repository Pattern	Cloud Functions	Custom Widgets
Multi-Platform	Dependency Injection	Analytics	Responsive UI

📊 Technical Excellence:

60fps smooth animations across all platforms
Offline-first architecture with data persistence
Secure authentication with Firebase Auth
Real-time progress tracking and analytics
Modular, testable codebase

🔗 Links: GitHub Repository | App Demo

☁️ Azure Cloud Solutions & Microservices

⚡ Enterprise-Grade Cloud Infrastructure

Production-ready cloud solutions leveraging Azure services, containerization, and Infrastructure as Code for scalable, resilient applications.

💡 Cloud Solutions:

Serverless Architecture: Azure Functions for event-driven computing
Container Orchestration: Kubernetes (AKS) for microservices deployment
Infrastructure as Code: Terraform and ARM templates for reproducible environments
CI/CD Pipelines: Automated deployment with Azure DevOps
Monitoring & Analytics: Application Insights and Log Analytics

🛠️ Technology Stack:

Compute	Containers	IaC	Monitoring
Azure Functions	Docker	Terraform	Application Insights
App Services	Kubernetes (AKS)	ARM Templates	Log Analytics
Virtual Machines	Container Registry	Azure CLI	Azure Monitor
Logic Apps	Container Instances	PowerShell	Metrics & Alerts

📊 Cloud Architecture Highlights:

99.9% uptime SLA achievement
Auto-scaling based on demand
Cost optimization through serverless and reserved instances
Multi-region deployment for disaster recovery
Security-first approach with Azure AD and Key Vault

🎯 Certifications: Microsoft Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204) | Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900)

📊 CODE ANALYTICS & DEVELOPER INTELLIGENCE

🌊 CONTRIBUTION OCEAN

_{Navigating the seas of code with naval precision}

🎯 TECHNOLOGY ARSENAL

⚓ MILITARY-GRADE CODE METRICS

_{Discipline forged in the navy, applied to software engineering}

_{Consistent
Contributor}

_{Team
Collaborator}

_{Quality
Guardian}

_{Problem
Solver}

_{Quality
Assurance}

_{Portfolio
Diverse}

💥 REAL-WORLD IMPACT METRICS

+25%

AI Model Accuracy
_{Improved through strategic
prompt engineering & training}

10hrs/week

Time Saved
_{Engineering workflow
optimizations & automation}

-10%

Fuel Efficiency
_{Naval voyage optimization
strategic planning skills}

99.9%

System Uptime
_{Production-grade
cloud deployments}

🧭 ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY

_{From navigating oceans to navigating codebases}

🎯 Strategic
_{Naval precision meets
architectural planning}

🧪 Test-Driven
_{80%+ coverage on
every project}

☁️ Cloud-Native
_{Scalable, resilient
microservices}

🤖 AI-Powered
_{Integrating intelligence
into solutions}

⚡ Performance
_{Optimized for
speed & efficiency}

📅 ANNUAL CODE CONTRIBUTION HEATMAP

🎓 EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

📚 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

Occupational Certificate: Software Engineering
NQF Level 6
CTU Training Solutions
📅 Expected Graduation: 2026
🎯 Specialization: Cloud & AI Development

IT Programming Foundation
NQF Level 4
CTU Training Solutions
🏆 Top Performer 2023
💻 Foundation in Software Development

🏅 CERTIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS

Azure Developer Associate (AZ-204)
Cloud Development & Serverless Architecture
✅ Certified | 🔗 Verify

Azure Data Fundamentals (DP-900)
Data Services, Analytics & AI on Azure
✅ Certified | 🔗 Verify

Additional Certifications:

🏦 JP Morgan Midas Core Software Engineering (Forage, 2025)
👩‍💻 Techbride Foundation Software Dev Bootcamp (2025)
🌐 SheCodes Web Development Specialization

🏅 ACHIEVEMENTS & RECOGNITION

AIMS 2025

🥇 1st Place Winner
_{Best Team in Application
& Visualisation}

Azure Certified

💼 Developer Associate
_{AZ-204 | Cloud Architecture
Serverless Computing}

CTU Excellence

🎯 Top Performer
_{2023 Programming
Foundation Program}

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Nicolette Mashaba NickiMash17

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🚀 ABOUT ME

💡 Unique Value Proposition

🛠️ TECHNOLOGY ARSENAL

💻 Core Languages & Frameworks

⚙️ Backend & Data Infrastructure

☁️ Cloud, DevOps & AI

🎨 Design & Development Tools

💼 PROFESSIONAL JOURNEY

🏆 FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

📊 CODE ANALYTICS & DEVELOPER INTELLIGENCE

🌊 CONTRIBUTION OCEAN

🎯 TECHNOLOGY ARSENAL

⚓ MILITARY-GRADE CODE METRICS

💥 REAL-WORLD IMPACT METRICS

+25%

10hrs/week

-10%

99.9%

🧭 ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY

📅 ANNUAL CODE CONTRIBUTION HEATMAP

🎓 EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

📚 ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

🏅 CERTIFICATIONS & CREDENTIALS

🏅 ACHIEVEMENTS & RECOGNITION

AIMS 2025

Azure Certified

CTU Excellence

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