Outreachy: The First Step

Week 1: From Web to Apps – My Outreachy Journey Begins

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Hi everyone! I’m Sonal Yadav, a second-year undergraduate student at CSJM University, Kanpur, India, where I’m pursuing a Bachelor of Technology in Electronics and Communication Engineering.

Although my academic focus is in electronics, my love for technology led me to explore software development early in college. I started with web development, creating basic websites out of curiosity. As I continued learning, I became interested in Android app development—the idea of building mobile apps that people use daily was really exciting to me.

Fast forward to today, I’m thrilled to be working as an Outreachy intern with the Wikimedia Commons Android app project. It’s been a rewarding experience to contribute to open source and be part of a mission that supports free knowledge sharing worldwide.

🌟 My Core Values

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1. Curiosity
Curiosity is what first led me into the world of technology. I’ve always been someone who asks “how” and “why”—whether it’s about how a website is structured or how mobile apps work behind the scenes. That curiosity pushed me to try coding, even when I didn’t have a formal background in computer science. I believe curiosity is the foundation of all learning. It keeps me motivated to explore new tools, read documentation, break things (and fix them!), and constantly discover new possibilities in tech.

2. Growth
I believe in the power of learning by doing, and growth—both personal and technical—is a value I hold close. Every challenge I take on, from debugging stubborn errors to understanding new codebases, helps me become more confident and capable. I’ve grown a lot since I first typed out my first HTML tag or explored Android development in Android Studio. But I know there’s always more to learn, and that excites me. Outreachy, for me, is not just an internship—it’s a step forward in my growth journey as a developer and as a contributor to the larger tech community.

3. Contribution
The idea of giving back has always meant a lot to me. I’ve learned so much from tutorials, open source code, and communities of developers who share their knowledge freely. That’s why I value contribution—because it allows me to be part of something bigger than myself. Being able to contribute to the Wikimedia Commons Android app means that my work is helping people around the world access and share free knowledge. That’s an incredibly empowering feeling. Open source contribution isn’t just about code—it's about collaboration, impact, and purpose.

💡Why I Applied to Outreachy

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I applied to Outreachy because I wanted to be part of something impactful. I was looking for an opportunity that would help me grow as a developer, connect with mentors, and work on real-world open source projects in an inclusive environment.

Outreachy’s values of inclusion, mentorship, and global collaboration made it the perfect platform for someone like me, coming from a non-traditional background in tech. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I’m learning something new every single day.

🧠 How I Learned So Far

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Most of what I’ve learned has been through self-study—YouTube tutorials, online courses, blogs, and a lot of trial and error. I remember spending hours debugging small issues and feeling super proud when I fixed even the tiniest bug. That feeling never gets old!

I’ve also started keeping notes and mini-journals to track what I learn each day. It helps me stay organized and reminds me how far I’ve come, especially on days when things feel slow.

This is just the beginning of my Outreachy journey, and I can’t wait to share more in the upcoming weeks. Thank you for reading :)