Outreachy - How, When & Why?
The OpenTelemetry maintainers are excited to have Sakshi Patle join our project as an intern via the Outreachy program. In this blog post, you can learn why Sakshi chose to apply for the Outreachy program and to contribute towards OpenTelemetry.
If you also want to get the opportunity to participate in open source and open science, check the Outreachy website for important dates
Hello world! I’m Sakshi Patle, a final-year Computer Science and Engineering student at Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya (RGPV) in the heart of India. My journey into the tech universe has been fueled by a blend of curiosity, the pursuit of honesty, and an unwavering commitment to perseverance. These are the pillars that not only uphold my personal values but also form the foundation of my professional aspirations.
The Spark of Curiosity
From a young age, I was mesmerized by the boundless potential that technology promised. It was a combination of curiosity and the allure of creating something out of nothing that led me to dive headfirst into the world of open source. Within the past year, I’ve had the chance to contribute to diverse projects, where I learned that every line of code could be a small step towards making a significant impact.
The Pursuit of Honesty
Honesty, for me, translates into transparency and openness, especially in the realm of software development. It’s about admitting what we don’t know, seeking help when needed, and being candid about our capabilities. It’s honesty that has allowed me to embrace my past as an Outreachy applicant with all its lessons, and it’s honesty that drives me to share my learnings and experiences with the community.
The Power of Perseverance
Challenges are an inevitable part of life, more so in a field as dynamic as technology. During my academic tenure, I grappled with concepts, whether it was establishing CI/CD pipelines or developing Golang projects like a banking app with REST APIs, and gRPC services for my college portal. These challenges tested my resolve but also reinforced my belief in perseverance. It’s the commitment to keep going, to learn and to improve, that ultimately transforms setbacks into successes.
The Motivation Behind Outreachy
Outreachy for me was not just a program; it represented the intersection of my core values with an opportunity for growth. My motivation to apply stemmed from a drive to tap into a global network of like-minded individuals and mentors across the OpenTelemetry community and the broader open source ecosystem.
My previous application to Outreachy was a learning curve, a process through which I discovered areas for improvement and gained insight into the collaborative nature of open source projects. What attracted me to reapply were the very tenets of Outreachy—diversity, inclusiveness, and empowerment.
Outreachy offers a nurturing ground to enhance skill sets, build confidence, and foster community engagement, which aligns perfectly with my aspiration to be a valuable contributor to the OTel community while embodying my core values.
Why OpenTelemetry?
OpenTelemetry (OTel) stood out to me as a space where security and scalability are not just focused on but are thriving. As an intern with the SIG Security team, I’ll be championing the implementation of organization-wide repository governance policies and checks. This isn’t just about enforcing standards; it’s about creating an ecosystem that ensures the integrity and reliability of the tools countless developers rely on.
In this role, I foresee myself learning and contributing in equal measure. Drawing from both my technical background in system design and my experiences in open source decentralization, I am poised to dive deep into the intricacies of secure coding practices and cutting-edge software supply chain strategies.