My Open Source Journey in 2024

My Open Source Journey in 2024

This year, I decided to take my open-source contributions seriously, and it’s been an incredible learning experience. I’ve had the opportunity to explore some fantastic open-source projects, tools, and communities, without any bias, and I’ve learned a great deal along the way.

Starting with the Docker Maven Plugin

My open-source journey began with a contribution to the popular Docker Maven Plugin. While my contribution was relatively small—updating dependency versions and refactoring a few methods—it taught me a lot about the process of contributing to open-source projects. I was guided through this experience by Rohan Kanojia, who showed me the ropes of contributing within an organization and maintaining quality in a collaborative environment.

Rejection, but Not Giving Up

I applied for Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2024, hoping to get a chance to work on an open-source project full-time. Unfortunately, I was rejected. But instead of giving up, I decided to take a different approach. I reached out to the organization Alaska, expressing my continued interest in working on their project. They welcomed my enthusiasm, and I started collaborating on the project, even contributing to their research paper in partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage researchers, Pradeeban Kathiravelu and David Moxley.

A Big Milestone: Presenting at IEEE CCECE

The hard work paid off! I am now a first author on a research paper that will be presented at the IEEE Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering (CCECE) on January 20, 2025. This is a huge milestone for me, and I’m excited to share our findings with the community.

Looking Ahead: More to Learn, More to Contribute

As I reflect on 2024, I see how much open-source has taught me about collaboration, persistence, and community. It’s been a journey of growth, and I’m looking forward to continuing to contribute to new projects, tackle fresh challenges, and connect with even more amazing people in the coming year. In 2025, I plan to dive into more complicated coding contributions. I’m excited to take on more challenging tasks, learn new techniques, and push my coding skills to the next level. Here’s to an exciting 2025, filled with new opportunities, continued learning, and ambitious goals!