Everybody Struggles: Struggles, Lessons And Growth

tanjiro struggling to pushing the boulder

 

 

 


Prerequisite

I have been an Outreachy GNOME intern for a while now. GNOME is a free and open-source desktop environment for Linux and similar systems. It consists of quite a number of projects that make up the entire overall system, and the one I am working on for my internship is Librsvg.

About Librsvg: It is a small library to render Scalable Vector Graphics (SVGs) associated with GNOME projects.

Struggles

Initially, my struggle was with the programming language because Rust wasn’t my primary language before I started the internship. This led to the struggle of understanding the codebase. But let’s be honest, it’s written in Rust, and it takes quite some time to fully onboard. Luckily, my internship is centered around implementations to handle the SVG2 text layout algorithm. Plus, a programming language is just a tool to get the job done and should not be a hindrance if you are willing to learn and put in the work.

During the course of the internship, I have also struggled with some domain-specific terminologies like Bi-di, glyphs, and how the existing program handles SVGs such as nested Bi-di and rendering. The struggle of understanding domain terminologies and how the program executes is natural. The steps to overcoming those struggles are crucial for growth and development.

What stood out towards helping me understand these struggles is the guidance of my mentor, Federico. We set up regular meetings, and whatever is discussed is noted in our shared pad for future reference and documentation. He also made it easy for me to ask questions by making it clear that “no question is too dumb to ask,” and he never takes offense when I re-ask a question he has already answered and I forgot.

In our last meeting, he said something that stuck with me. When I told him a particular task felt overwhelming, he said, “I understand you; it is expected to be overwhelming to anyone,” with a big smile. His understanding and patience have been instrumental in my progress and Federico’s encouragement to ask any question, no matter how small, has been invaluable in building my confidence.

Tackling Tasks

I have completed a few tasks, and the way I approach them is by tackling them head-on. I do research where required and push for review. Never underestimate the power of reviews toward the completion of a task.

Overall, keep an open mind, be ready to learn, and always ask questions. If you have bad memory like mine, write things down as they come.

Final Thoughts

Keep in mind that struggles are part of the journey. You cannot run or shy away from what needs to be done, so why not just do it in time and have the rest of the time to understand your mistakes, reiterate on them, overcome them, and tag it as a win for yourself and a story to share with others.

Looking forward to sharing more of my internship progress with you soon!

See you in the next chapter—cheers!

 

Introducing Your Favorite Neighborhood Software Engineer (GNOME Outreachy Intern)…Anointing

My Journey to Becoming a GNOME Outreachy Intern

Hello everyone! You might be curious about how my personal blog found its way onto the renowned GNOME blog site. Before I share that story, let me introduce myself and my journey.

About myself

My name is Adetoye Anointing, and I’m a Computer Science graduate with a passion for technology, history, and creativity. I’m a former Google Developer Student Club Lead  now called GDG On Campus, hobbyist photographer, anime enthusiast, and lover of superhero movies.

I’ve been a software engineer for over three years. Like many, my journey started with the ever-popular “Hello, World!” in HTML. Initially, I aspired to become a security engineer, but without proper guidance or reliable internet, it was challenging. However, I discovered Python during this time, which opened the door to backend engineering and eventually software engineering

Later, After gaining foundational skills in Python, I realized I wanted to explore more efficient and modern languages. That’s when I discovered Go (Golang) through Google and roadmap.sh. I created a plan, stuck to it, and that marked the start of a fulfilling tech career. Along the way, I’ve contributed to various open-source projects and built meaningful connections in tech communities and subsequent picked up Rust.

My long-term aspirations include becoming a Site Reliability Engineer at Google, owning an Aston Martin Vantage, and contributing to complex infrastructure and blockchain projects.

Core Value

As much as I will like to give in-depth views on my core value, I will keep it simple, my core values are:

  • COMMUNITY : I owe much of my growth to tech communities. Joining the Google Developer Community was a turning point in my career, providing support, guidance, and opportunities. I also discovered Outreachy through Open Source Community Africa (OSCAFEST). I always encourage newcomers to join a community—it’s a powerful catalyst for growth.
  • OPENNESS: I believe in lifelong learning and the power of feedback.
    This mindset drives me to learn from my mistakes, seek feedback, and absorb knowledge from those around me.
  • DETERMINATION: Setting clear, concrete goals is vital. Determination fuels progress, keeps you going through tough times, and ensures results. It’s this value that motivated me to persist with my Outreachy applications until I was finally accepted.

If not for these core values, I wouldn’t have persisted with my Outreachy applications, let alone been accepted into this incredible program.

So, how did I end up with my name on the GNOME blog site? It started with applying to Outreachy multiple times, finally locking in on the project “Implement the SVG2 Text Layout Algorithm in librsvg.” With the guidance of my amazing mentor, Federico Mena Quintero, and support from Felipe Borges, I was accepted as an Outreachy Intern!

Now, here I am, on day one, with my first blog post published on the GNOME blog site.

I’m thrilled to begin this journey as an Outreachy Intern for GNOME! Over the next few months, I’ll be blogging about my progress, challenges, and achievements. I hope you’ll join me for the ride.

Looking forward to sharing more with you soon!

See you in the next chapter—cheers!