Hi there :)
My name is Maria Podorvanova. I am Russian, currently living in Canberra, Australia. Before Canberra, I used to live in Saint Petersburg, Russia, where I got a Bachelor Degree in Business Informatics. Business Informatics gave me comprehensive insight into engineering aspects of computer science, but as a profession it was not exciting for me, because I wanted to program more.
Writing code is like building: you create your own little universe, which works according to your laws, and what you design happens in it.
Therefore, I spent the whole 2020-year learning software engineering and related areas, and I want to say the year was quite fruitful and successful, as I’m here, a newly accepted Outreachy intern.
Core values
Our core values highlight what we are made from. They define our beliefs, behaviors, decisions, and actions. Among the many things, I think that constant self-development, curiosity and open communication are key factors not only being a successful developer, but being a good person in general.
Constant self-development
Self development is a way to create a better version of yourself by improving personal skills, competencies, and knowledge. I believe that we never stop learning in life, so I appreciate self-development in different forms.
Curiosity
It is very easy to stagnate without being curious about the work you are doing. Curiosity is what drives us forward to learn new things, get new skills. That’s why I believe curiosity is one of the fundamental skills for a person.
Open communication
As said a friend of mine “We are all human, and we talk and communicate”. Communication is an essential part of our lives. We exchange our experience and knowledge through it. I believe each person, whatever status or skills they have, can teach you something you do not know. We should see any open communication as an opportunity to get new skills or experience, even though the person you talk to might be younger than you or has completely different interests from yours.
What motivated me to apply to Outreachy
I believe Outreachy is not an ordinary internship, where you just work with your mentors. It is a community of interesting people, who respect each other, other people’s values, and of course have a strong passion for coding. I am very happy to be a part of it. It is also an awesome opportunity to work in a team, gain valuable experience and improve my chances of finding a good, meaningful job. That combination of things was my motivation to apply to Outreachy.