How did this thing begin?
Three years ago, I entered my university life, where my parents pushed me to study software engineering. At the very first beginning, I didn't want to be a software engineer. ๐ I've done my A/Ls in the bioscience stream since then I wanted to be a doctor and do my contributions on the medical side. Yet my life has changed due to my parents' decoctions.
But now I have finally agreed with this decision because the second-best stream I like was information technology after medical science.
Guess what! I'm coding for 24/7 now. ๐ค
How did open source volunteering become my favourite hobby?
From year 2 onwards, I became a volunteer in my university's open-source communities. And stepped into the local communities of Sri Lanka. I have to admit that the first impression that I got from was the best impression I had.
Here are some 2019 & 2020 flashbacks ๐ฅ
- I was a 'Women of Mozilla Sri Lanka' ambassador and volunteered in Digi Edu Hack 2019 which held at Open University of Sri Lanka on 03-04th of October at university premises.
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- In Devfest Sri Lanka 2019 organized by GDG Sri Lanka, I volunteered as a part of SLIIT FOSS Community.
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- We, SLIIT FOSS Community are proud to be a part of the team behind the success of Software Freedom Day 2020 as volunteers.
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My most recent achievement wasโฆ
Won 2nd Runner Up ๐๐ป (Bronze Award), in SLIIT CODEFEST HACKATHON 2020 out of more than 100 competing university teams from all around the island.
Team Emulation Nerds โค
I started coding for the first time back in my first years at uni. I remember the excitement of seeing the achievements I've made. And now I've ended up becoming a Front End Developer. ๐คฉ๐
I continue to code because...
It has a combination of all the things I like imagination, critical thinking, technology, social interaction, learning, and regular challenges. Keeping up with the tech community is more enjoyable than I thought. I'm attending monthly meetings, going to conventions, and most importantly, I've made quite good friends.
I want to brag about...
It wasn't a straightforward road to find the courage to complete all the projects because the content was getting more and more challenging.
When I decided to switch jobs, I had to do my best to make an extra effort on the coding challenge and the interview.
Many days I didn't even get my parents' permission to join my volunteer events or my internships. It was so heartbreaking to say that they were just concentrating on my semester grades. Usually, they don't pay much heed to my other achievements.
I keep working hard. I try to learn from everyone, and when I don't know something, I ask.
My volunteering experiences are really paid off. It led me to multiple opportunities that I could never imagine. ๐
My advice for allies to support women and non-binary folks who code is....
My message to you is to make sure that everyone gets their voice heard in a positive environment.
Happy Coding ! โ๏ธ
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