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!