And the bits goes on...

Posted on by Geisa Santos and Emma Pinheiro

Categories: blog and student posts

Time to clear the boardTime to clear our board.
(Image Credit: Geisa Santos)

Thinking how to start this post remind us how difficult was to start anything. Some can say that you only have to make the first step, but it’s not so easy and isn’t fits to everything. Sometimes, well, the most of the time, when everyone label you in a category, every single day, it’s hard to believe you can do a first step.

During RGSoC we’re surrounded by inspiring and amazing people from everywhere. Everyday there was not one or two but a lot persons cheering us up. We shared thoughts and feelings with the others fantastic girls.

The credits it was expected to the final but we really want to thanks Ines Coelho, Brena Monteiro and Ana Sofia: thanks to believe in us and helped this amazing experience become reality. <3

Speakerinnen and our own voice

Geisa: The first time I invited Emma to get along with me to the applications of Rails Girls Summer of Code, I told her about Speakerinnen and Ruby Monstas. I don’t remember when or who told me about them, the Rails Girls from Berlin, but definitely was because Rails Girls Salvador. I’d already used their resources to study Ruby. So when we received the news it was shocking: we couldn’t believe it.

We pushed ourselves so much to work and study for hours, even in the weekend. We were so worried to disappoint Ana Sofia and our team (mentors and Ines) that we made some sprints in the first week. Only after talking with them we realized that we forget the most important thing: learning having fun. RGSoC is not about work.

Daily meetingSharing ideas and choosing issues at daily meeting.
(Image Credit: Geisa Santos)

We could talk here about impostor syndrome but we want to tell you about how/when we started to believe in ourselves. Hearing our own voice. RGSoC is a journey about of knowledge, a journey of self discover and the better part is you don’t have to walk alone. There are a lot of people supporting you in every step. That is most important achievement we get from it: we can do whatever we want to because we are capable of. You don’t have to be 100% or an expert from the beginning, in fact you always will be learning.

So we allowed ourselves to learn and get rid of the labels society imposes on us.

Veni, Vini, Vici

BDD is awesome!Learning about Behaviour Driven Development with Coach Aurium.
(Image Credit: Geisa Santos)

Wow! So many new topics we learned and still learning.
We discovered anothers things we’d loved to work with Speakerinnen project: testing, Security, BDD, how to create gems, Postgres and others.

From now on, Geisa is researching about UX and Design Thinking to collaborate with Speakerinnen’s team. Also she started to study more about Security for applications and Javascript. This year Geisa is organizing the 4th edition of Rails Girls Salvador with others mates. Emma is improving her skills in Web Design and also returned to tattoo again. And just to refresh: after RGSoC we will continue to contributing with Speakerinnen. :)

Geisa is working remotely for about six years, so she wants to find a remote job in Tech and Emma want both (remote or not).

A beautiful draw by EmmaOne of great works from Emma.
(Image Credit: See more from at her Instagram)

Roll the credits!

We are afraid of forgetting someone, so we prefer to thanks everyone at the orga team <3 (OMGGGGG! You all are amazing!), everyone that dedicated their time helping us on the Help channel and outside that. A huge thanks for Ines Coelho, our incredible supervisor, and for Coach Brena Monteiro: thank you so much for your patient, help and for be there for us full time. <33333

Teamates from all around the world: it was a pleasure! We wish everyone can achieve news goals.

And the bits goes on…

Geisa: Last week I was at my first Python Brazil. Something I was planning a year ago.
It was amazing. Going back to beginning of our conversation about beliefs and journeys, I want to share with you one more thing.

Some people asks me why initiatives for diversity are so important. I can name some many whys but I will tell you just two: support and representation. Communities like PyLadies and Rails Girls Summer of Code are so welcoming, supportive, cheers you up, empathic, inclusive. If you be part of a minority and you find a group like yourself, a place you can share your worries, you can cry, you can search for help, you’ll be embraced. You can handle obstacles and any other harm that you have to deal being a girl (or a ‘different’ person) in tech (or other place men think you’re not allowed to be) with more strength and energy. This is what it means to be a PyLady for a year to me. One of this amazing persons that is always cheering for you, engaging the community is Paula Grangeiro. This year she received the Dorneles Tremea Award, an important award for her work and support, not only for PyLadies Brazilian community but for the whole Brazilian Python community. YAYYY!

Paula Grangeiro and PyLadies organizers from everywhere in BrazilPyLadies organizers from Brazil with Paula Grangeiro (in the center, between me and Jessica Temporal, who have injured her foot) at Python Brasil 2016.
(Image Credit: Python Brazil organization)

Doesn’t matter that programming language you prefer or if are in Tech, Science, Arts…I wish you find more people like Paula, like Anika, Ines, Ana Sofia, Brena, Emma, Laura. I wish you find a community like a have in Brazil with the PyLadies, I wish could find more representation and inspiring people. I wish you can become this person for someone or for your community.

And I wish more submissions for Brazil next year. Because I will be there for you, as a Coach cheering you up and helping you improve yourself.

Thanks, RGSoC!