I missed my chance at Google Summer of Code during my undergraduate years, and it always stuck with me. When my MSc made me eligible again, I wasn't going to let it slip by a second time. I found an interesting project, put together what I thought was a solid proposal, and gave it my best shot. It didn't work out, but I'm still glad I tried.

In this post, I share insights from a transformative session on open source contributions led by Malinda Alahakoon and Jayasanka Weerasinghe, and how it inspired my career transition plans.