Sam Heuck

Development Practice Manager, Praxent

Austin

I am a web developer, IT professional and audio engineer currently working for Praxent in Austin, TX . I specialize in custom web application development using a variety of open source technologies. I have a passion for the endless pursuit of practical, elegant code.

I was born in Montana, and grew up on a ranch in Wyoming. Being a rancher’s son is a fate I am grateful for. The ranch taught me to work hard, to get the job done no matter what, and to think of creative solutions to problems. Often times when fixing a well, or repairing a fence, the tool or part we needed was miles away - but the cows needed to drink. Knowing how to improvise in these situations is a skill I learned well, and continue to rely on when confronted with unexpected obstacles. Software design and information technology seem to be breeding grounds for unexpected obstacles, and rolling with the punches is essential. Luckily, thanks to the ranch, rolling with the punches is something I actually enjoy.

I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Technology from Montana State University. I have always been into computers and technology, and before I discovered the Music Technology program, I was considering electrical engineering. However, electrical engineering does not present many situations in which playing saxophone would be of any benefit. So how to combine the nerd with the musician? Music Technology!

When I was going to school, I had a unique opportunity to be part of the design and upbringing of this brand new degree program. Because the program was so new, and the only one of its kind in the region, there were many opportunities for volunteer work. These were not your usual undergraduate assistant, busy work tasks - the work was essential to the success of the program. It allowed me to be part of something bigger - something more than attending classes and getting my degree. It also allowed me to start creating software that solved real world headaches. I remember when I showed my newly created student information database application to a user she exclaimed, "Wow it’s like our software, except it doesn’t suck!" From that point on, I was hooked.