My journey of how I got accepted as an Outreachy intern

Hi there, if you are reading this you’ve probably heard of or applied to Outreachy. If not here is a quick summary of what Outreachy is and why you should apply to join it:

Outreachy is a paid, remote internship program designed to support people from underrepresented groups in tech by providing opportunities to contribute to open source software and open science projects. You'll have the opportunity to collaborate with open source organizations, an excellent chance to advance your career and gain first hand experience working with industry leaders

My acceptance into Outreachy

To be honest, the journey hasn’t been easy. I first heard of Outreachy in 2023, this was my third time applying and my first time being selected as a contributor. I was really excited having be selected as a contributor, the joy I had upon receiving the approval email was unimaginable, after multiple rejections I had finally got in. Having read successful stories of accepted Outreachy interns I knew I had to share mine too and that’s why I didn’t give up applying even after getting multiple rejections.

The humbling period of Contribution

Getting accepted as a contributor was just the beginning of my journey. When the contribution period began I had to choose projects which I knew would best fit me and my skills. I did not expect the contribution period to be so competitive especially the projects I had chose to work on. There were different contributors from different backgrounds many of them were smart and more experienced than me. This didn’t stop me from contributing and doing my best to standout from them. One of the projects which I had chose to contribute on was a Wikimedia project, which involved creating an interactive game. The game had to represent Wikimedia and it’s mission. This project stood out for me since I love gaming and also it was a unique project which would perfectly fit my skills. I made sure my contribution stood out from others and by designing and adding unique features to my project. I submitted my projects and waited for the announcement.

Internship Announcement

The interns announcement date arrived, tensions were so high, you could literally feel it across multiple group chats. Everyone kept their fingers crossed hopping to be selected, honestly I was so stressed I couldn’t focus the entire day. So to ease the tension I decided to switch off my internet for the day and open it later in the evening after the successful interns had been announced. Later that day, I turned my internet back on, only to be greeted by congratulatory messages from my fellow interns. I couldn’t believe it. I had to read the messages twice just to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. My name and photo had been posted there officially selected. A rush of emotions hit me all at once: disbelief, joy, relief. After weeks of contributing, learning, doubting myself, and pushing through, it had all paid off. I was in. I was officially an Outreachy intern.

Expectations

As I begin my internship, I look forward to learning and developing new skills that will not only enhance my technical abilities but also strengthen my communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills. I look forward to working closely with my mentors Hilary and Damian, contributing meaningfully to the project and gaining practical experience. This opportunity will allow me to grow both professionally and personally, and I’m excited to embrace the challenges and learning experiences that lie ahead.

Let me end it here for now, I’ll be making sure to update my journey here. Thank you for reading :)