At 19, I'm a student driven by curiosity. My journey into the world of Web3 began at the ETH Dublin conference, sparking a passion that led me down a fascinating rabbit hole of blockchain technology.
My initial exploration involved diving deep into Ethereum-based technologies. I spent six to seven months familiarizing myself with Solidity smart contracts, general blockchain concepts, and EVM-based fundamentals. During this time, I built mini-projects such as NFT ticketing apps and marketplaces, using React for the frontend and Solidity with ethers.js for blockchain integration.
A pivotal moment came when I met a Polkadot fellow at the conference. This chance encounter not only resulted in a great friendship but also guided me towards coding in Solidity and, eventually, to set my sights on the Polkadot Blockchain Academy (PBA) as my gateway into the Web3 space.
Feeling comfortable with my Ethereum-based tech stack, I decided to take on a new challenge: Rust. Known for its developer-friendly nature and steep learning curve, Rust pushed me out of my comfort zone as a TypeScript developer. I immersed myself in the Rust book, meticulously working through examples to understand the language's intricacies. To reinforce my learning, I regularly tackled exercises like Rustlings and recreated basic command-line utilities in Rust.
In April, when the PBA applications opened, I felt ready to test my skills. The qualifier exam allowed me to apply my Rust knowledge, and I completed all questions with confidence. Two weeks later, I received the exciting news that I had cleared the Rust exam and was invited for an interview – the final stage of entry into the program.
The interview with a PBA talent acquisition member was an opportunity to share my Web3 journey and express how I viewed the academy as a means to innovate and develop in the ecosystem. The anticipation following the interview was intense, as I knew it could make or break my chance at this opportunity.
About a week later, I received the email I had been hoping for. As soon as I saw the words "welcome to the Singapore cohort," I knew my hard work had paid off. This confirmation email not only validated my efforts but also crystallized my vision for the future.
As I embark on this new chapter with the Polkadot Blockchain Academy, I'm excited to deepen my knowledge, contribute to the ecosystem, and continue my growth in the exciting world of Web3.