📅 January 18, 2025 – Browsing Past Projects

After setting my heart on joining Google Summer of Code 2025, the very next step was to find the right project—something I was both passionate about and capable of contributing to.

That search officially began on January 18, 2025

🔍 Diving Into the Archives

I started combing through the GSoC Archive—a goldmine of previously accepted projects, contributors, and organizations. Every project I read through was like a mini story of growth, challenge, and impact.

I filtered by the domains I love most:
💡 Artificial Intelligence
💻 Natural Language Processing
🛠️ Developer Tooling

Each one fascinated me, but I was also cautious. I didn’t want to pick a project just because it looked cool. I wanted something I could truly commit to and learn from.

🗂️ Building My Shortlist

I created a spreadsheet where I logged:

• Organizations I liked

• Their proposed ideas

• Tech stack used

• Level of familiarity vs. stretch potential

🔸 Some organizations I explored included Hugging Face, NumFOCUS, JuliaLang, and of course… Scala Center—which would soon become my perfect match.

🎯 Lessons From This Phase

🔹 Research is not just about selecting a name. It’s about understanding their mission, tech stack, contribution guidelines, and community culture.

🔹 The best fit isn’t always the flashiest. It’s the one where your curiosity feels at home.

This phase taught me that alignment matters. GSoC isn’t just about showing what you know—it’s about joining hands with a team, solving real problems, and growing into the developer you want to become.

🧭 Reflections

If you’re starting your GSoC research journey now, don’t rush the process.
🕵️‍♂️ Explore deeply. Compare wisely. Choose intentionally.
This part may seem like background work—but it’s what lays the foundation for everything ahead.