Hey there! I am Nitya Pasrija, not your typical blogger but well giving it a try to record the memories of the Outreachy Internship, I hope I can capture all of the moments well and present them to you via these blogs <3
Let's start with my introduction first:
I am currently an IT undergrad at IGDTUW (Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women), folks refer to it as IG or even IGIT for short :) I have had a keen interest in open source and projects since the beginning of my college, and have won numerous ideathons and hackathons. The recent large-scale hackathons I won were Solana HackDay 2022 and Netapp Women Innovathon 2023.
Now, before you label me as a total nerd xD let me stop you right there. I'm not just about internships and tech stuff. I've got a passionate love for basketball and music that I consider my true life force :) And let's not forget my guilty pleasure of binge-watching shows. It's my go-to escape from reality and a great way to satisfy my curiosity. All of these things keep me sane and fuel my creativity.
Apart from this, I deem my core values to be: Freedom, Growth and Poise <3
FREEDOM: The most valuable asset I believe any human can have is freedom :) It's the representation of liberation to pursue passions and express one's true self without any fear of boundaries and limitations. It fosters pure creativity that drives the next core value- growth.
GROWTH: Growth is the catalyst for constant self-improvement and pushes me to step out of my comfort zone and take on new challenges. Growth to me is not just in getting accepted and being successful but also in the wisdom of rejection to help one realize their true potential.
POISE: What comes after growth is poise, it's the equilibrium state of my life xD Tackling challenges head-on, learning valuable lessons, and bouncing back stronger are the elements that make it crucial. It's the true navigator in life's ups and downs which leads to the path of freedom <3
What drove me to apply for Outreachy?
As a fresher, I encountered various tech domains that I never knew existed at college. One such domain was open source, and when I discovered Hacktoberfest and the opportunity to contribute to different repositories worldwide, it felt like the perfect fit for me. I was intrigued by the collaborative nature of open source and wanted to dive deeper into this exciting world.
I began researching more about open source and came across influential YouTubers like Kunal Kushwaha, as well as senior students like Vani Chitkara di and Yukti Sharma di, who shared their experiences and insights. Their enthusiasm and passion for open source further fueled my excitement to become a part of this community. Thus applying to Outreachy or GSOC felt like the next logical step for me.
The application process...
There were two stages for getting selected:
Stage 1: The application round
In this folks from across the world, filled out their details to apply for the Outreachy internships, other than this they have to fill out certain essay questions. Then, around 1000 applicants from all over the world proceeded to the Contribution stage.
Stage 2: The Contribution Period
During this stage, the hunt for projects began, and I actively made contributions to these projects over the course of one month. It was an invaluable learning experience for me. Ultimately, I had to submit a maximum of two proposals to the listed open-source organizations, summarizing my contributions and outlining my future timeline for the project. I got my proposals reviewed once from the project mentors.
The result announcement
The results came a month after, and I was still giving my exams when the Outreachy results were declared. It was an exhilarating moment to discover that I was among the 63 contributors selected for the Outreachy internship!! The next three months are going to be a tremendous learning curve for me, and am eagerly looking forward to it <333
You can connect with me on the following platforms: