Beyond the Classroom: Inspiring Careers in Open Source

#opensource #storytelling #githubeducation #hacktoberfest

Hi, I’m Salim Oyinlola, a GitHub Campus Expert studying at the University of Lagos in Nigeria. As a Campus Expert, my role is to support and enrich the tech communities around me, and I’ve had the privilege of working closely with GitHub Education to make that happen. Over time, I’ve come to realize how powerful communities can be in shaping our careers—and how often students like myself don’t get to see the many paths to a career in tech available to us.

A picture of Salim Oyinlola on the intro of the Beyond the Classroom: Open Source Stories documentary

In my local tech community, I’ve observed that students believe there’s a single, defined route to success in tech: learn the basics via the platforms on the GitHub Student Developer Pack, do the same for Data Structures and Algorithms, grind LeetCode, host HackerRank practice marathons with friends, and nail those mock interviews to land an internship. Many see this as the ultimate pathway, but I’ve come to understand there’s another rewarding route that also works well: open source.

While internships are widely recognized as the gold standard of practical experience, I believe there’s equally as much to gain—sometimes more—from getting involved in open source projects. Internships teach you about teamwork, what it’s like to be part of a larger tech stack, and introduce you to real-world working dynamics. Open source, however, offers a different kind of learning where you’re gaining these same teamwork skills but on a global scale, coding and collaborating with people from across the world. It’s where you learn not only to code but also to connect, bridging time zones, backgrounds, and skill levels.

The Challenges of Building a Career in Open Source in Nigeria

Building a career in open source isn’t easy, especially here in Nigeria. Students face challenges like scarce mentorship opportunities, and low awareness about what open source even is. But despite these challenges, I’ve seen many Nigerian students dive into open source, driven by community, curiosity, and the chance to contribute to projects that impact people worldwide. I found eight students whose journey shows that open-source involvement can be both a stepping stone and a fulfilling pursuit, even with limited resources. And so, Beyond the Classroom: Open Source Stories was born.

Beyond the Classroom: Open Source Stories

This four-episode documentary series, released in October 2024 for HacktoberFest, shines a light on Nigerian students who have crafted tech careers outside of traditional classroom paths by immersing themselves in open source. The series features eight students from universities across Nigeria, each sharing how open source has opened doors to incredible opportunities and changed their career paths.

A compilation of the eight Nigerian students who told their stories.

Each episode explores a different stage in the open-source journey:

Episode One: Hello World – Here, each student talks about their first encounter with open source. They share what it means to them, their initial impressions, and the steps they took to make their first contributions.
Episode Two: Blooming Where You’re Planted – In this episode, the students discuss how they carved out a place for themselves within the open-source ecosystem. They share the obstacles, learning curves, and moments of self-discovery that helped them find their unique paths.
Episode Three: Money Makes the World Go Round – Financial realities come into play as the students reveal how they monetized their open-source passions, from Google Summer of Code (GSoC) to the MLH Fellowship and the Outreachy Internship. They explain how they balanced passion projects with financial needs.
Episode Four: It Takes a Village – This final episode delves into the motivations beyond money that keep these students in open source. They open up about the friendships, connections, and personal satisfaction they’ve gained from their contributions, proving that open source is as much about community as it is about code.

In the documentary, a recurring theme is the importance of the GitHub Student Developer Pack, which has been a crucial resource for all these students. They each share their favorite tools in the pack, highlighting how these resources have fueled their journeys.

The Power of Storytelling

If there’s one other thing I’m passionate about, it’s storytelling. I believe in the power of great storytelling, and I’m convinced that stories resonate far more with listeners/viewers than advice alone. This documentary series isn’t just about offering advice—it’s about telling real stories from real people. When we tell stories, especially drawn from our own experiences, we’re inviting people into a world where they can learn through the lens of another person’s lived experience. While advice tends to tell people what they should do, stories show them what’s possible, what has worked or failed, and why. For me, this approach makes stories not only relatable but impactful, because they allow listeners to draw their own conclusions, spark curiosity, empathy, and self-reflection.

Stories also create a deeper sense of connection that pure advice can’t. Through stories, abstract advice becomes personal and real, making the experience far more memorable. And in my view, when a story is told well, it leaves room for the listener to take away a unique lesson that resonates on a personal level.

The Role of Community Partnerships

To ensure that Beyond the Classroom reached a broad audience, I knew community partnerships would be essential. Partnering with Open Source Community Africa (OSCA) and CHAOSS Africa helped bring the series to life. These partnerships allowed us to leverage their networks to attract a diverse and engaged viewership, expanding our reach and impact in the open-source community. Most importantly, the support the documentary received from GitHub Education through the Campus Experts program was instrumental in making this series possible, providing resources and a platform to connect with a broader audience dedicated to open-source collaboration and learning.

Through Beyond the Classroom, I hope to inspire students to see open source as a powerful avenue for career growth and personal fulfillment. This project has shown me how storytelling can inspire others, how open source can empower, and how community partnerships can amplify our voices. For students across Nigeria, this documentary is proof that there are meaningful paths outside the classroom—paths built on passion, collaboration, and a love for learning.