I'm Zach Martin, and I'm diving into web development to build a skill I've wanted for a long time. I've done bits of programming and technical tinkering on my own, but the part users actually see and interact with the front end, the design, the way everything connects has always been the piece I wanted to really understand. That's what brought me to this class. Learning web development feels like putting together two halves of the same picture. I want to understand how a front end, a server, and a database fit together end to end, and how to turn raw data into a clean, responsive interface someone can actually use. Full-stack work is what interests me most: not just styling a page, but knowing what's happening underneath it. My goal this semester is to get hands-on and build something real instead of working through abstract exercises. For my project, I'm creating a full-stack portfolio site for my own small business, Galaxy Forge Gaming, an LLC I run selling trading cards. Building something I actually care about should make the concepts stick a lot better, and I'll come out of it with a site I can genuinely use. I learn best by doing, breaking things, and figuring out why they broke. I'm looking forward to leveling up as a developer this semester, getting comfortable across the whole stack, and seeing what everyone else builds along the way.