I'm Mark Ratajczak. I am a professional software developer living in Ann Arbor, MI with my wife, three kids, and a dog. I've been programming since I was in elementary school in the early/mid 80s, when I began copying code out of Family Computing magazine and tinkering with it on my TI-99/4A. Despite this long-time passion for programming, I never really envisioned myself having a career in software development. I attended the University of Michigan with the initial intention of getting an engineering degree, and somehow ended up with degrees in both music and physics instead. I had planned on continuing my physics education and pursuing a PhD, but I had gotten a job as a Perl and C developer with a fantasy sports startup during my senior year, and they eventually made me an offer I couldn't refuse to stay with them instead of going to graduate school. That job was truly a life-altering experience - I worked with some absolutely amazing people, I had virtually unlimited opportunitites to use my creativity and to develop my talents, and I rediscovered the passion I had for programming. At that point it was clear that my future was in software, and so for the last 20 years that's what I've been doing.

When I'm not sitting at the computer cranking out code, I'm usually spending time with my family. Having two very young kids who are only 15 months apart is exhausting at times, but also very rewarding. When time permits, I also enjoy playing poker, basketball, handicapping baseball and football, and I'm a big fan of U of M football. One of these days, I also hope to clean the cobwebs off my trombone and get back into playing jazz.