Another Career Option Unlocked
When I joined Outreachy, I knew I wanted to be part of something meaningful. Outreachy isn’t just about writing code—it’s about opening doors for underrepresented folks in tech and helping us grow into contributors who can shape the future of open source.
My internship with Servo, has been more than just a technical learning experience—it’s been a career discovery process.
Unlocking New Possibilities
One of the main reasons I applied to this project was because I wanted to learn Rust—not just as a hobby, but as a stepping stone toward contributing to another open-source project I deeply care about: Bitcoin. The Rust ecosystem is growing quickly, and many modern open-source projects in areas like crypto, decentralized systems, and low-level infrastructure are embracing it.
By working on Servo, I didn’t just learn Rust syntax or data structures—I learned how to navigate a real-world, production-level Rust codebase. I gained experience in system architecture, browser internals, message passing, and managing complexity across multiple components. These are valuable, transferable skills for any Rust-based project, and I now feel much more confident exploring other Rust-heavy domains like blockchain development.
But that’s not all. Contributing to Servo has also unlocked another unexpected path: web browser and tooling development. I never imagined I’d be working on devtools for a browser, and yet here I am. It’s an area I now realize I enjoy—a mix of systems thinking, user experience, and performance optimization. It’s definitely a space I’d be open to exploring professionally in the future.
Tools, Skills & What’s Next
Here are some tools and skills I’ve gained—and some I want to grow into next:
What I bring:
Rust Programming: I now have hands-on experience with Rust in the context of browser development.
Open Source Workflow: Working with issues, submitting PRs, navigating large codebases, and engaging in respectful code reviews.
Developer Tools Insight: Understanding of how network traffic is monitored and visualized in browser devtools.
Asynchronous Systems: Experience with message passing, event handling, and inter-component communication.
What I want to grow:
Advanced Rust Concepts: I’d love to dive deeper into lifetimes, async/await patterns, and performance optimization in Rust.
Cryptography & Systems Security: Particularly for my longer-term Bitcoin goals.
Frontend-Rust bridges (e.g., WebAssembly): Understanding how Rust compiles to the web, which is useful both for crypto wallets and devtools.
Open Source Leadership: Eventually, I’d like to maintain or lead an open-source project of my own someday.
Learning to Listen: My Soft Skill Superpower
One of the most transformative parts of this internship wasn’t technical—it was learning to listen. I’ve struggled with communication for a long time. I used to worry that asking questions might make me seem slow, or that expressing uncertainty would make me seem less capable.
But through this experience—through mentorship, feedback, and code review—I’ve learned that listening is a powerful form of communication. It allows you to:
Understand context before jumping in.
Learn from other people’s approaches.
Receive feedback with an open mind instead of defensiveness.
I’ve also learned that clarity beats perfection when collaborating. Being able to explain your thought process, even when it’s not 100% polished, creates room for shared understanding.
Being a great team member isn’t just about writing brilliant code—it’s about creating an environment where everyone can do their best work. That’s the kind of collaborator I’m becoming.
Final Thoughts
This internship didn’t just teach me how to contribute to open source—it expanded my idea of what my career could be. I came in with a goal to learn Rust for Bitcoin, but I’ve come away with even more: real-world experience, new technical interests, and better communication skills that will serve me wherever I go.
Whether I end up working on developer tools, blockchain infrastructure, or even something I haven’t discovered yet, one thing is clear: the open-source world is full of opportunity, and I now feel equipped to explore it with confidence