Derian Setoguchi

Using my creative and problem solving abilities to create programs that are fun to use. I believe that even the simplest idea can become amazing if given the proper time and care. I am committed to developing myself as a programmer and designer to accomplish this.

FROM:

  • Dr Willemijn Appels
  • Senior Research Chair – Mueller Irrigation Research Group
  • Lethbridge Polytechnic
  • Email available upon request

TO:

  • Interested Party
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing this letter to provide a professional reference for Mr Derian Setoguchi. I am a Senior Research Chair at Lethbridge Polytechnic, leading the Mueller Irrigation Research Group (MIRG). In this position, I was a co-supervisor of Mr Setoguchi during his time as a research assistant at Lethbridge Polytechnic from June 15 to October 31, 2025.
Mr Setoguchi started his work at MIRG through a 200-hour internship in the Spring of 2025. For this internship period, he built an off-line database to record and organize farm operations to be used by staff and researchers at Lethbridge Polytechnic. We were impressed by Mr Setoguchi’s ability to code independently, work from instructions provided by non-experts, learn new languages, and create functioning prototypes of the requested product in a timely manner. Therefore, we hired Mr Setogutchi after his internship as a research assistant to assist us with another research project.
As a research assistant, Mr Setoguchi was responsible for developing a web application to map and graph crop evapotranspiration based on data from Google Earth Engine. The project required Mr Setoguchi to independently learn another new language and the Google Earth Engine. This project was substantially larger than the database. Mr Setoguchi broke the project down into logical steps, and effectively researched, drafted, and crafted each step. This was not always easy, as he was the only developer in an agricultural research team. He worked with me and other potential users to test and adjust the functionality of the site and organized its hosting. At the end of the project, he ensured the transferability of the code and web app by writing (technical) manuals and comment the code extensively.
I have come to know Mr Setoguchi as an organized, dedicated employee. He worked independently and was persistent when issues arose that we could not help him with. In addition, Mr Setoguchi was a great team member. I would recommend him as an excellent addition to any programming or developing team.
Yours Sincerely,
Dr Willemijn Appels

FROM:

  • Timothy D. Frantz, CIS
  • Instructor, Computer Information Technology
  • Lethbridge Polytechnic
  • 3000 College Dr. S, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
  • Email available upon request

TO:

  • Interested Party
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to you regarding a reference for Derian Setoguchi. I have been his instructor at Lethbridge Polytechnic for the past year and a half and have observed his participation in group activities, class, and in class discussions, public presentations, and a variety of his assignment submissions.
I have been most impressed with the following characteristics:
  • Commitment and work ethic
    • Derian consistently and regularly shows that he is willing to work hard and do whatever is required
    • He is always striving to learn and improve his technology skills
    • Derian focusses intently on whatever task is at hand.
  • Intellect
    • Derian’s consistently maintains an “A” average
    • Derian strives to understand every concept and detail of each lesson taught
    • He successfully grasps both broad and detailed concepts quickly.
  • Communication skills
    • Although he is a man of few words, Derian is a good communicator, able to express his thoughts clearly
    • He is never afraid to ask questions, always striving to get the complete message
    • Derian is mastering public speaking
    • Derian has good writing skills within technical accuracy and readability contexts.
  • Character
    • Derian is a very polite, kind, and respectful person
    • He is constantly striving to improve himself in every way
    • Derian has a very sharp sense of humour and uses it well within group settings to keep the atmosphere fun and light
    • He has proven himself to be true “team player”, liked and appreciated by his project team members
    • Derian has demonstrated a strong commitment to his team and his education.
I believe that Derian would be an asset to any company or business, and that his involvement in a project or business would be a contributor to its success. As the owner and manager of an IT business for 17 years, I recognize actual and potential character and talent. If I had a position needing to be filled in my business, I would hire Derian. I recommend the same.
Sincerely,
Timothy D. Frantz

TO:

  • Interested Party
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am committed to using my creative and problem solving abilities to create programs that are fun to use. I believe that even the simplest idea can become amazing if given the proper time and care. I am committed to developing myself as a programmer and designer to accomplish this.
With 16 languages and frameworks in my toolkit, I’ve developed an easily readable, line-by-line style of code which I use on every project. For personal projects, I’ve developed anything from merge sorts to paint apps across numerous languages.
Currently, I am a student at Lethbridge Polytechnic’s Computer Information Technology program. As I further my knowledge, I look to gain experience with new, challenging projects in a professional setting. As a student, I dedicated myself to both personal and educational projects, leaving me with a greater understanding of the technology and my own ability. With this knowledge, I was able to start with a preexisting foundation of knowledge for other technologies, often allowing me to improve over the expected solution.
My classes have, among other things, taught me:
  • Web design
  • Backend programming
  • Database management
  • Systems development
  • Algorithm design
With a strong base in many frontend and backend programming languages, I believe I will be a strong addition to your team. I am grateful for the opportunity to work and learn with your team.
Thank you for your time,

Derian Setoguchi

Career Objective

To secure employment as a programmer and gain skills, experience, and greater knowledge of programming as an industry.

Skills

Programming Skills

  • C# | Godot, Unity, .NET
  • PHP, HTML, CSS
  • JavaScript | Earth Engine, Various libraries
  • SQL | Oracle, PHP
  • Python | Earth Engine, Various packages

Programming Experience

  • Kotlin | Jetpack Compose
  • Java | Plain, Swing, WPI Robotics Library
  • C++| VS Code
  • Experience with 14 programming languages

General Skills

  • Fast to pick up new skills and languages
  • Research and analysis
  • Full stack development
  • Creative problem solving
  • Knowledge of programming algorithms
  • Drawing – Landscape, Figure, Character design
  • Writing – Business, Creative
  • Relational database systems
  • Systems analysis and design
  • Using limited documentation
  • Linux – Vim, Command prompt

Relevant Education

Work Experience

  • 2025 | Software Development at Lethbridge Polytechnic
    • June - October | Contract
    • January - June | Practicum
  • January 2024 - Current | Entrepreneur
  • August - September 2024 | Spirit Halloween Lethbridge
  • 2020 - 2023 | DR Stucco (2004) Ltd.

Lethbridge Polytechnic | 2022-2025

  • Completed CIT diploma with honours in every term
  • Completed practicum with MIRG at Lethbridge Polytechnic
  • Completed team-based assignment for the Town of Vulcan
  • Completed 6 Credits through dual-credit programs with honours

FROM:

  • Michael Kehoe, PhD
  • Researcher, Meuller Irrigation Group
  • Lethbridge Polytechnic
  • 3000 College Dr. S, Lethbridge, AB T1K 1L6
  • Email available upon request

TO:

  • Interested Party
Dear Sir/Madam,
My name is Michael Kehoe, PhD, I am a research scientist at Lethbridge Polytechnic with over 20 years’ experience developing code for scientific data processing purposes. I am writing in support of Derian Setoguchi’s abilities as a professional software developer. Derian graduated less than 6 months ago and came to work with me in our research group at Lethbridge Polytechnic. In that time Derian has developed a number of pieces of software for us to use in our work. He worked with minimal supervision and was very professional in how he conducted himself.
Derian was professional in his conduct and he produced software that we are already using in out day to day work. He was able to understand the different tasks I set by keeping notes and asking pertinent questions. For someone fresh out of his diploma I was very impressed with his breadth of knowledge. Derian isn’t fazed by different programming languages and was comfortable programming in a number of different languages. Software Derian developed required both backend and frontend skills. The farm database he developed for example involved database design and implementation but also an unusual map based method for inputting data.
I have no hesitation recommending Derian for a software developer position.
For more information please contact me via the email below.
Best regards,
Michael Kehoe, PhD

Programming & Web Development

Picture of a project by Derian Setoguchi
These are my most impressive and interesting projects. From efficiency to design to iterative improvement, the projects I've worked on detail an impressive history of problem solving. I've compiled these specific projects to give you a good feeling of both my ability and interests as a programmer and web developer. I feel as though the selected projects most efficiently show the depth and breadth of my skills, with special focus on my most recent projects.

Artistic Skills

Drawing by Derian Setoguchi