Introducing Michael

Introducing Michael

Walk with me as I journey through the wonders of free open-source software

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3 min read

Who am I? :)

Short version:

Hello, my name is Michael, and I am a third-year Computer Science student living in Nigeria.

Longer version:

Often, a question like this is seemingly straightforward, yet so complex to answer. Its answer encompasses one's strengths, struggles, ambitions, and many facets of one's personality.

While growing up, I always assumed that all rewards in life were placed on a schedule and were independent of the effort one puts into having a better life. This thought process left me very ignorant about the consequences of my actions because I understood then that the reward system for my life would stick to the schedule.

Fortunately, by the time I had graduated from secondary school, I had been on so many emotional and mental roller-coasters that quickly changed my perception of life, as a lot of things didn't seem to be going according to plan. I was convinced that as an individual you have to put in the effort to create your own reality and give yourself the life you believe you deserve. To aid me to keep my life in check with this newly formed conviction, I laid down some core values that influence my actions.

My Core Values:

Authenticity

I have adopted the value of being authentic. I believe in a world that thrives on people being clear about their motives and aspirations; a world where there are no projected filters to mislead people. With authenticity comes transparency and true progress.

Curiosity

One of the major turnarounds for me after secondary school was my increased curiosity. I was incessantly eager to understand how things around me worked. This value made me thrive to be a better thinker and boil traditional conversations down to their fundamental principles for better understanding. Being curious has improved my decision-making. It was this newborn curiosity that also fueled my interest in computers and how they influence the world around us today.

Growth

I have over time learned and adopted that in whatever I put intentional effort into, I should always optimize for growth. The idea of growth seems scary most times, but that is the only way to measure one's progress over a long-term horizon. My eagerness for growth keeps me going on low days because I understand that, with consistency, growth always leaves its footprint.

My Motivation for Outreachy:

I have always been very interested in getting tech internship opportunities as a Computer science undergraduate, so my peers and I always send prompts about available opportunities. Fortunately, the Outreachy Internship turned out to be one of those prompts. After being informed of the opportunities that the Outreachy Internship brings with the free open-source community, I was really thrilled and, to an extent, I was in disbelief because you rarely see internship opportunities like this as an undergrad in Nigeria. I did my personal research afterward and knew that the opportunity to contribute to free open-source software through an initiative like Outreachy is a career changer. From that moment, I optimized and put in the effort to get the internship.

The mouth-watering stipend, the community of brilliant people that Outreachy provides, and the free access to amazing mentors that show empathy and willingness to see your progress is enough conviction to participate in the program. I am really grateful for the opportunity to be selected by and contribute to the Javascript team at Debian .