Insight, Inspiration, Initiative Series

hooria ahmed


Happy Thursday Everyone!

I often remind myself, "Hey girl, you've been through 20 years of education and earned a Bachelor's in Computer Science at the end of it - you're more than capable!" I've lost count of how many times I've had to motivate and talk myself up to pull myself out of the trench of doubts. I've realized that having doubts about yourself is common, especially when you're just a new grad (particularly a new CS grad) in this tough economy. But I'm more than determined to get out of this trench and take some real steps to do so! Through my network, I was able to land an internship at PromoterMotor as a Software Engineering Intern. This was a huge help in taking me out of my thoughts of not being good enough, as I was making a real impact and helping non-profits with their marketing goals! With that gained confidence, I started looking for opportunities where I could grow my skillset. Now, two months after my internship ended, I applied for Headstarter AI's fellowship and got accepted! It's a Software Engineering fellowship (see, you are a SWE girlie) and I signed up for an entrepreneurial route, which is daunting, I'm not going to lie. I'm very social in person, but online, I'm a bit hesitant. However, I'm trying to anchor on my extroverted personality and jump into blogging or posting on LinkedIn, hopefully becoming comfortable with what comes with being an entrepreneur! This is my first week at Headstarter, and I'm so glad I joined because every day includes a motivational talk and some good reminders that keep my imposter syndrome in check. I see so many talented people around me, and some are way ahead of me, which can be overwhelming. But Yahsin Ehsan, the founder of Headstarter AI, said, "This is not a competition, but an acceleration," and I realized what an amazing mindset that is to have. We're all there for each other! With this new mindset, I aim to compete only with myself and make sure I'm improving every day, even if it's just a little bit, whether in personal or professional development.

I will be writing more about my journey and this fellowship in my future blogs, hopefully once a day or at least once weekly!

With a new mindset,
Hooria

Stay tuned for more!