Outreachy Journey: Introduction

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the internet. My name is Victoria Poromon, and I’m an Outreachy intern contributing to Bioconductor. I am passionate about learning, sharing knowledge, and building with purpose, and I’m excited to begin my journey as an Outreachy intern.

My Core Values

I believe that who we are is shaped not only by what we know, but by how we choose to grow. As I continue to carve out my personal and professional path, I’ve come to realise that three values guide me more than any others: patience, community, and curiosity.

Patience reminds me that meaningful growth doesn’t happen overnight. Whether I’m learning a new skill, navigating uncertainty, collaborating on a task, supporting others or even working on personal tasks, I try to embrace the slow, steady pace of progress, trusting that consistency will always yield more than rushing ever could. One significant teaching moment for me came during the contribution stage, when I had to help new contributors get a hang of the project. This wasn’t easy at first, but I gradually learned to adjust to their pace and exercise patience as they found their footing. In doing this, I understood and appreciated collaborative learning more.

Community keeps me grounded. I thrive in environments where knowledge is shared, support is mutual, and everyone has the space to grow and communicate effectively. Being part of a collaborative community has shown me the power of learning together, leaning on one another, and building something bigger than ourselves. There have been many times when I’ve felt stuck, but the community at BugSigDB has always been there to support me. Just knowing that others are willing to work through challenges alongside me has reinforced the importance of being both a recipient and a contributor in a shared space. It’s taught me that community isn’t just something to benefit from, it’s something to actively nurture for others as well.

And finally, curiosity is my compass. It drives me to ask questions, explore unfamiliar ideas, and challenge what I think I know. Curiosity keeps my mind open and my goals evolving; it’s what makes the journey exciting for me. There have been times when I hesitated to ask certain questions, fearing they weren’t “good enough.” But each time, I received thoughtful and valuable responses that not only answered my questions but also gave me greater insight. That positive reinforcement fueled my curiosity even more. I began asking more questions, not just to gain information, but to build confidence, gain clarity, and ultimately do more meaningful and impactful work.

Why did I apply to Outreachy?

Beyond having a community that reflects my core values, the first thing that drew me to apply to Outreachy was the program’s incredible commitment to inclusion, especially for people like me who are often underrepresented in tech. Every stage of the application process has been eye-opening. I didn’t just learn how to curate microbiome studies; I also learned to listen, collaborate, and ask better questions. You can learn more about my experience here.

This is just the beginning

As I begin this internship journey with Outreachy and Bioconductor, I’m filled with gratitude and excitement. I'm looking forward to growing slowly but steadily, remaining curious, and contributing meaningfully to a vibrant community. This is just the beginning, and I can’t wait to see where it leads.