Building My AWS-Powered Portfolio: Learning, Experimenting, and Showcasing Projects

When I decided to build and host my personal profile site from scratch, I knew it would be a challenge — but also an incredible opportunity to learn

I wanted to create something that not only showcased my skills but also served as a living portfolio of my growing expertise in cloud computing. Armed with Canva for design and wireframing, AWS for hosting, and a determination to learn, I’m embarking on a journey that has been equal parts rewarding and enlightening. And while I’m still in the process of building it out, I’m excited to share my progress so far.

Designing with Canva, Building with AWS

It all started with Canva. I started with the design and layout of my website using Canva. While Canva is known for its graphic design capabilities, I used it as a wireframing tool to structure my portfolio site visually. This helped me map out sections like About Me, Projects, Blog / Learning Journey, and Contact Information.

Having a clear visual guide will make the next steps — building and hosting the site on AWS — much smoother.

AWS, with its vast array of services, felt overwhelming at first. However, I quickly realized that breaking it down into manageable pieces was the key. I started with the basics: Amazon S3 for static website hosting, Route 53 for domain routing, and CloudFront for content delivery. As I progress, I’m beginning to integrate more advanced services like AWS Lambda for serverless functions and DynamoDB for database storage.

Stay tuned for the final result!

My First Capstone Project: Building a 3-Tiered Web Server

One of the most exciting milestones in this journey has been my first capstone project — building a 3-tiered web application.

Building a 3-tiered web application might sound complicated, but when you break it down, it’s just about creating three main layers that work together to deliver a seamless user experience. Here’s a simple explanation of how I built mine:

Presentation Tier
This is the part of the application that users see and interact with. I found sample index and CSS files on GitHub. This tier is all about making the application look good and ensuring it’s easy to use.

Application Tier
This is the brain of the application. It handles all the logic, like processing user requests, performing calculations, and managing data flow. I used Amazon EC2 to host this part. This tier communicates with both the front end (to receive requests) and the database (to store or retrieve data).

Database Tier
This is where all the data lives. I used Amazon RDS to manage the database, which stores things like user information, application settings, and other important data. The backend tier talks to the database to save or fetch data as needed.

To make sure the application can handle lots of users without crashing, I also used Elastic Load Balancing to spread traffic evenly across multiple servers and Auto Scaling to automatically add more servers when traffic increases.

This project was a huge milestone in my cloud journey because it ties together multiple AWS services in a real-world scenario. Building it has reinforced my understanding of networking, security, and infrastructure as a whole. This will be the first project I post to my profile site.

How AWS SkillBuilder Labs Continue to Help Me Learn

I couldn’t have gotten this far without the help of AWS Skillbuilder Labs. These hands-on labs have been instrumental in helping me grasp new concepts and apply them in real-world scenarios. The guided exercises allow me to experiment with AWS services in a safe environment, building my confidence as I go.

Learning AWS concepts is one thing, but implementing them in a controlled lab environment has made all the difference. Most importantly, these labs have helped me understand how AWS services work together.

What’s Next?

This journey has been incredibly fulfilling so far, and I’m excited to see where it takes me next. I’m continuing to explore AWS services, with upcoming lessons that will dive deeper into services like serverless architecture, machine learning, and DevOps. I also want to expand my portfolio with more beginner and intermediate projects that push the boundaries of what I can do with AWS.

Once my profile site is complete, I’ll share the domain so others can see my projects in action. For now, I’m focused on learning, building, and refining.

Final Thoughts

If you’re just starting, my advice is to take it one step at a time. Break down complex tasks into smaller, manageable pieces, and don’t be afraid to experiment. Tools like AWS Skillbuilder Labs and beginner-friendly projects can be incredibly helpful in building your confidence and skills.

Building and hosting my profile site on AWS will be more than just a technical challenge — it will be a journey of growth, learning, and discovery. I can’t wait to share the final result and continue building on this foundation.

Here’s to building, learning, and growing — one line of code at a time.

Stay tuned for updates once my profile site is live. Let’s build something amazing together!