WWCD Mentorship Program 3.0: Week 1
This journey started back in 2020 with me applying for Women Who Code Mentorship Program 2.0 and waiting for days to receive my acceptance letter. Unfortunately, I didn't. As disheartened as I was back then and for everyone who is currently reading this blog, trust me I know the feeling. But that didn't deter me from working for the same organization in the capacity of a volunteer. I started volunteering with Women Who Code, Delhi back in January 2020, and within a span of a couple of months, I realized why the network is as rock-solid and amazing as it is renowned to be. It’s because of the sheer efforts of the amazing women in the team and the whole female community constantly looking out for each other.
With hope in my heart, I applied again for the Mentorship Program 3.0, but this time with experience. I built my answers around my journey and how optimized my path will be under the guidance of a mentor. And finally, I did get selected, and the best part? Under one of my favorite mentors, I always wanted to have guidance from, Pallavi Bishnoi. She’s one amazing woman, alongside being awesome and we quickly bonded over our love for anime. She is also currently the Network Lead at Women Who Code, Delhi and I was extremely glad to have her as my mentor.
After our first onboarding call as mentees with the program head, we were scheduled for one call per week with our mentors. Soon after, I talked to Pallavi and my other fellow mates Akansha and Kriti, and undoubtedly it was a warm and wholesome call.
We started off by discussing how often we miss out on great opportunities due to a lack of awareness and proper resources. We covered various avenues of contributing to open source projects through programs like WooTech, GirlScript Summer of Code, etc. We told Pallavi about our expectations on a personal level as well as the outcome we expect to achieve as a group. I am inclined towards exploring the crossroads of finance and technology, and she promptly connected me to various resources through Youtube channels (KnowledgeGate, GateSmashers, etc.), problem-solving groups on Facebook to strategize my path towards mastering data structures and algorithms. We extensively discussed how to build on our thinking skills in an interview environment and answer different behavioral questions subjected to project management.
For the upcoming weeks, we would be preparing for the numerous scholarships and opportunities exclusive to women in technology and hopefully grabbing them as well! ✨
The most amazing part of this whole experience so far is the fact that it doesn't feel obligatory, but something I can look forward to every week. As anxious as I am about having to sit through video meetings, I am most certainly looking forward to the next call!
Thanking WWCD, with all my heart for taking in this introvert! 💗
