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My name is Tilda Udufo and I’m a Public Lab intern in Outreachy working on the project ‘Improve education-related usability and functionality on PublicLab.org ’. As an Outreachy intern, I'm required to write a blog post every two weeks and today's blog post will be about my core values. My three core values are:
- Authenticity: Being true to myself boosts my self-confidence and helps other people trust me because they know that what they see is what they get. Honestly, it can be a little hard to stay true to yourself because there are so many opinions on what you should and shouldn’t be, what’s acceptable, and what is not. So when the noise gets too much I shut it out and I just focus on my energy and what I want to do. No one can do YOU like you.
- Growth: For the longest time I didn’t step out of my comfort zone. I was so scared of change and taking risks that I didn’t realize how much damage I was doing to myself. Personal growth helps you develop and become someone who is kind, considerate, and open to change. So at whatever stage or place, I am in my life, I always try to grow.
- Kindness: Wherever I am or whatever way I feel I always try to be kind. Something as simple as a smile or holding the door open for someone goes a long way. I feel drawn to people who are kind and it makes it easier for me to work with them.
Motivations for Applying to Outreachy
I came across Outreachy while reading Ruth Ikegah ‘2020 in Review’ blog post where she talked about not being accepted into the Outreachy Program. I guess I have Ruth to thank for sharing her experience on her blog. Open source had always seemed intimidating to me so seeing that post at a time in my life where I had decided to challenge myself was a good sign I guess. I saw this post in January and Outreachy applications opened on the 1st of February so I had about a month to prepare. I read every article I could find about Outreachy and I asked some alums questions about the contribution phase.
Before I even got accepted to participate in the contribution stage I had made up my mind to contribute to Public Lab whether or not I was accepted. The first thing that drew me to Public Lab was what they stood for. I’m very passionate about my environment so being an intern for an organization that shares knowledge about ways to help the environment was like a dream come true. Another thing that piqued my interest was the community and how welcoming they were of new contributors.
The contribution phase was both scary and exciting. There were a lot of talented people who were also contributing and I felt like there was no way I would get selected. But, I’m glad I didn’t let that stop me, or else I wouldn’t be writing this blog post today.
- Cover photo by Sean Stratton on Unsplash
This article is part of a series