Hi, I'm

Leigthon Messina

Junior Software Engineer

Final-year Computer Science at UCT with hands-on experience at AWS. Passionate about backend development, software engineering, and building scalable solutions.

class SoftwareEngineer {
  constructor() {
    this.name = "Leigthon Messina";
    this.role = "Junior Software Engineer";
    this.location = "Cape Town, SA";
  }
  
  getSkills() {
    return ["Java", "Python", "React", "AWS"];
  }
}

About Me

I'm a final-year Computer Science and Computer Engineering student at the University of Cape Town, with a strong foundation in backend development and software engineering principles.

During my internship at Amazon Web Services (AWS) on the EC2 Dedicated Host Team, I contributed production-quality backend code to internal tooling and participated in Agile development practices, including sprint planning, code reviews, and design discussions.

I'm known for quickly adapting to complex systems, writing maintainable code, and working effectively in team-based engineering environments. Beyond software development, I've co-founded a tutoring initiative and mentored first-year university students, demonstrating my commitment to knowledge sharing and community building.

Cape Town, South Africa
University of Cape Town
Open to Opportunities
3+
Months at AWS
10+
Projects Completed
5+
Languages

Work Experience

Software Development Intern

June 2025 - August 2025

Amazon Web Services (AWS)

EC2 Dedicated Host Team

  • Contributed production-quality backend code to internal tooling supporting the EC2 Dedicated Host platform
  • Assisted in designing and implementing new backend features to improve reliability and operational visibility
  • Enhanced internal service components and developer-facing interfaces used by engineering teams
  • Participated in Agile practices including sprint planning, stand-ups, code reviews, and design discussions
  • Delivered code aligned with AWS engineering standards, security best practices, and maintainability guidelines

Co-Founder & Tutor

April 2024 - November 2024

Intellectus Academy

  • Co-founded a tutoring initiative providing Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Accounting support
  • Delivered structured lessons and academic guidance to Grades 10-12 learners
  • Developed teaching materials and strategies to improve student understanding and performance

Mathematics Tutor

April 2024 - October 2024

Rocklands High School

  • Tutored Mathematics to classes of 30-40 Grade 8, 9, and 11 students
  • Helped learners improve conceptual understanding and academic performance

Featured Projects

AWS EC2 Dedicated Hosts Diagnostic Tool

Developed a full-stack internal diagnostic and data retrieval tool for the EC2 Dedicated Hosts engineering and operations teams. The application enables fast querying and aggregation of data from multiple backend APIs and services, significantly reducing time spent identifying and troubleshooting issues related to host allocation, instance placement, health events, and operational metrics.

Java TypeScript JavaScript React Ruby YAML XML Unit & Integration Testing
June 2025 – August 2025

Intellectus Academy Website

Developed a full-stack web applicaiton for a tutoring business that i co-founded with a friend of mine, this tutoring site helps facilitate bookings , provides extra information about the company and provide students with extra resources to assist with their studies

TypeScript JavaScript React JSON HTML CSS
Jan 2026 – Current
View Site

Public Transportation Web Application

Full-stack web application for public transportation management. Implemented backend services in Python with RESTful APIs consumed by a React frontend, integrated with SQL database for data persistence and querying.

Python React REST API SQL
August 2025 – October 2025

Embedded Systems & Image Processing

Developed embedded software in C for STM32 microcontrollers, implementing low-level hardware interaction. Completed image processing project in C++ focusing on data manipulation, performance optimization, and signal processing concepts.

C C++ STM32 Embedded Systems
2024 – 2025

Technical Skills

Programming Languages

Java
Python
C#
JavaScript
TypeScript
C
C++

Frameworks & Tools

React
.NET
HTML5
CSS3
SQL
REST APIs

Concepts & Practices

Object-Oriented Programming
Data Structures
Software Engineering
Agile Development
Code Reviews
Version Control

Soft Skills

Team Collaboration
Communication
Problem-Solving
Adaptability
Mentoring

Education

Bachelor of Science

Computer Science & Computer Engineering

University of Cape Town

Expected Completion: 2025 (Results Pending)

Get In Touch

I'm currently seeking Junior/Graduate Software Engineer opportunities. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss potential collaborations or just want to connect!