Eric Gardea

Background

About Eric Gardea

My journey into tech wasn’t traditional, but it’s been driven by curiosity, adaptability, and a strong interest in solving real problems with code and systems. In 2021, I began studying Computer Science at UTEP without a technical background, but quickly gained momentum through hands-on projects and a growing interest in software development and system design. In 2022, I landed a Software Engineering/Product Management internship at Microsoft, where I helped streamline local news onboarding for Bing and built dashboards used across 16+ countries. It was my first time seeing how my work could scale and support real users. In 2023, I returned to Microsoft as a Software Engineering intern, developing a content preview API and collaborating with stakeholders to improve SQL performance and data integrity. That experience deepened my interest in engineering and reinforced my focus on building reliable, scalable solutions. Outside of tech, I’ve served as a publicly elected school board member, overseeing a $118M budget and supporting students. It’s a role that’s sharpened my ability to lead, communicate, and make thoughtful decisions that serve a larger mission. Now, I’ve recently graduated with a degree in Computer Science, and I’m looking for full-time, Texas-based roles in software engineering, product management, or technical solutions. I’m excited to keep learning, building, and contributing to teams that care about meaningful, user-driven work.