Hey, I'mMaruf
CS & Math student (21).
Based in Waterloo, Canada's tech hub (not the battlefield).
A curious sort, muddling through software, systems, and sundry pursuits.
Open to collaborations and the occasional chat.
Prefer the command line? Explore the terminal version
Tools of the trade
- C++
- Zig
- TypeScript
- React
- Golang
- Node.js
- PostgreSQL
- Docker
- C
GitHub, of late
View ProfileSelected work
WLU MSA Website
A central hub for WLU MSA events, announcements, member resources, and payments, serving 1,500+ users.
Built with Next.js, Payload CMS, PostgreSQL, and Stripe, it streamlined event registration, content publishing, and donation workflows while improving reliability, SEO, and page load times from 1.8s to 1.2-1.3s for a smoother member experience.
ThinkFast Sudoku
A real-time multiplayer Sudoku platform where players create a room, join instantly, and solve the same puzzle together in the browser.
Built with Next.js and Firebase Realtime Database, it uses sub-100ms synchronization and a custom 800+ LOC backtracking solver to generate valid boards, enforce constraints, and support real-time validation across players.
MSA App
A mobile app for staying connected to MSA updates, events, and community tools without the friction of a mobile browser.
Built with React Native, Expo, and Supabase, it delivers announcements, event details, and member-facing content in a streamlined mobile experience designed for quick access on the go.
Photography Portfolio
A photography gallery for wildlife, street, and everyday shots, designed around speed, sharp image delivery, and a focused browsing experience.
Built with Eleventy and Sharp, it uses optimized WebP generation and PWA support to keep image-heavy pages fast and responsive.
Out and about
President
Lead the executive team responsible for prayer services, Islamic learning, Ramadan programming, mentorship, sports, and community events for Muslim students at Laurier.
- Set priorities across programming, operations, communications, and partnerships with campus and community organizations.
- Coordinate the teams and resources behind recurring services such as prayer support, workshops, student resources, and social events.
Operations
Maintained the official Next.js platform serving 2,500+ users, integrating Payload CMS, PostgreSQL, and Stripe to support events, resources, registrations, and donations.
- Managed wlumsa.org as the central hub for events, announcements, and resources.
- Tuned queries and introduced caching, reducing PostgreSQL load by ~70% and improving page speed.
- Improved SEO and donation flows, contributing to ~2x traffic growth and ~10% higher donations.
VP Internal
Managed internal communications and organizer coordination for a business-and-technology competition serving 200+ participants across 40 teams and 16 judges.
- Kept participants and organizers aligned on schedules, responsibilities, and event updates throughout planning and competition weekend.
- Served on the event-day technical support team, troubleshooting participant issues so teams could keep building and presenting.
VP Operations
Coordinated venue bookings, match schedules, registrations, and event-day logistics for competitive matches and recreational cricket sessions.
VP Marketing
Planned social media campaigns and designed promotional materials for matches, registrations, recruitment, and club events, giving students clear ways to join and participate.
Distribution Lead
Coordinated the distribution of Islamic literature across campus and completed da’wah training to hold respectful, informative conversations with students about Islam.
VP Finance
Managed club budgets, reimbursements, and spending records while working with event leads to review costs and keep student-led programs within available funds.
A few notes
All WritingsBehind This Site
A look at the ideas, tools, and small decisions behind my portfolio, from file-based MDX to the details I keep refining.
What a CORS Bug Taught Me About Debugging
A production CORS issue forced me to slow down, isolate the layers, and debug the system instead of guessing at headers.
What Cricket Taught Me About System Design
A close cricket match showed me how clear roles, balanced workloads, resilience, and timely adjustments shape strong teams. It also helped me recognize those same patterns in reliable software systems.
Building a Halal Food Directory for WLU MSA
A short case study on building a searchable halal food directory for Laurier students, from messy spreadsheet data to a maintained community resource.