Add Juanita's introductory blogpost

_data/authors.yml

@@ -40,3 +40,17 @@ Anita Graser:
     - label: "Twitter"
       icon: "fab fa-fw fa-twitter-square"
       url: "https://twitter.com/underdarkGIS"
+Juanita Gomez:
+  name        : "Juanita Gomez"
+  bio         : "Community Lead, Scientific Python"
+  avatar      : "/images/people/juanita-gomez.png"
+  links:
+    - label: "Email"
+      icon: "fas fa-fw fa-envelope-square"
+      url: "mailto:juanitagomezr2112@gmail.com"
+    - label: "Website"
+      icon: "fas fa-fw fa-link"
+      url: "https://www.linkedin.com/in/juanitagomezr"
+    - label: "Twitter"
+      icon: "fab fa-fw fa-twitter-square"
+      url: "https://twitter.com/juanitagomezr"

_posts/2022-11-21-what-makes-a-python-package-healthy.md

@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ header:
   overlay_filter: 0.6
 categories:
   - blog-post
-  - highlight
   - python-packaging
   - peer-review
 toc: false

_posts/2023-05-20-introduction-juanita.md

@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+---
+layout: single
+classes: wide
+title: "🎶 My Journey Through Scientific Python: The Lyrics 🎶
+ "
+excerpt: "Juanita Gomez recently joined pyOpenSci as a community lead to help with community building and outreach. Learn more about Juanita's path to becoming a leader in community management in the scientific Python ecosystem. "
+author: "Juanita Gomez"
+permalink: /blog/journey-through-scientific-python.html
+header:
+  overlay_color: "#DD751C"
+categories:
+  - blog-post
+  - highlight
+  - community
+toc: false
+comments: true
+---
+
+## Introduction: About Me
+
+Hello, everyone! I'm Juanita. I'm excited to share my story with you. I'm currently a computer science PhD student at UC Santa Cruz and the community manager of the [Scientific Python project](https://scientific-python.org/) (which you will hear more about in a bit 👀). I’m originally from Colombia. I completed my undergraduate studies in pure mathematics at Universidad Javeriana while also taking some music courses. I'm a passionate singer, and my favorite color is orange 🧡.
+
+I recently joined pyOpenSci as a community lead to help with community building and outreach (super excited about it!). I want to share my journey through my involvement in open-source scientific Python projects, which is basically how I got here. 😊
+
+<figure class="align-left">
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/juanita-guitar.png">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/juanita-guitar.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="A woman sitting on top of a hill in the desert holding a guitar.">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption>This is a picture of me in the middle of a dessert <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFxc5NZDjuA">  playing my favorite song </a>. One of the reasons I love this picture (besides the amazing landscape) it's because it shows how happy it makes me singing.
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+## Verse 1: The Spark - Contributing to Spyder
+
+One of my earliest contributions to the open-source world was with the [Spyder IDE](https://www.spyder-ide.org) when I worked as a Software Engineer at Quansight. I primarily focused on writing documentation and engaging in community outreach. My initial task was to update the documentation for Spyder 4, the latest release at that time, and make it more user-friendly.
+
+<figure style="width: 350px;margin-top:0.3em;margin-bottom:0" class="align-left">
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/spyder-video.png">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/spyder-video.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="A screen shot of a YouTube video in the Spyder IDE YouTube account showing a women in a white background with the text 'Do not mix pip and conda.">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption> This is a screen shot of a <a href="https://youtu.be/Ul79ihg41Rs">YouTube video</a> that I made for Spyder's documentation to help our users troubleshoot when they are having issues with their environment. The goal was to make it as friendly and fun as possible!
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+Education has always been a passion of mine, and I worked as a tutor for several years, learning different tools and questioning the effectiveness of current educational methods. This was one of the reasons why I became interested in this project.
+
+Through social media, documentation, and even live-streamed events, I aimed to create a stronger connection between developers and users. During this experience, I discovered the crucial role of empathy in effective documentation. Understanding the needs and perspectives of users became clear to me, motivating me to create content that resonated with newcomers and fostered a more inclusive community.
+
+## Verse 2: Growing the Community with Scientific Python
+
+Later on, I took on the role of community manager for the [Scientific Python project](https://scientific-python.org), which aims to better coordinate the ecosystem and grow the community. This responsibility has allowed me to explore various avenues of engagement. From recording documentation videos and developer interviews to managing social media channels and organizing events, I have had the opportunity to contribute to the growth of this remarkable project. While I may not have been experienced in some of these areas initially ([TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@scientific.python), anyone? 😅 ), I have enjoyed every aspect and been driven by my firm belief in the power of community. I believe that building a strong and healthy community around the scientific Python ecosystem is just as crucial as the tools themselves.
+
+<figure>
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/scientific-python-youtube.png">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/scientific-python-youtube.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="A screen shot of a YouTube channel webpage showing different thumbnails of videos about Scientific Python.">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption> This is the <a href="hhttps://www.youtube.com/@scientific-python">Scientific Python YouTube channel</a> where we have uploaded developer interviews, onboarding videos, developer summit recordings and other useful materials for users and developers of the scientific Python ecosystem.
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+> I believe that building a strong and healthy community around the scientific Python ecosystem is just as crucial as the tools themselves.
+
+## Chorus: Embracing the Stage
+
+<figure style="width: 350px;margin-top:0.6em;margin-bottom:0" class="align-right">
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/scipy-talk.png">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/scipy-talk.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="A woman standing at a podium in front of a projector screen.">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption>Last year (2022) I presented my first talk at SciPy Conference about my work at Scientific Python. The title's talk was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYGxHV7INs4&t=15s"> 'From GitHub to TikTok'</a> because I wanted to highlight the idea that as developers we sometimes focus to much about the code and forget to work on community too. I shared some of the Scientific Python project recent community building and outreach efforts and invited people to get involved.
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+Thanks to my involvement in the ecosystem, I have been honored to present talks and speak as a panelist at amazing conferences such as [SciPy](https://youtu.be/jYGxHV7INs4), [PyCon](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyJVnzGQqZU), and PyData. These opportunities allowed me to share my experiences and insights, primarily focusing on the significance of community work and the importance of empathy in software development. After all, it's the users who we do this for, right? One of the most fulfilling aspects of my journey has been the ability to inspire and be inspired by others. Whether through conference talks or informal conversations over a scoop of ice cream 🍦 (I don’t drink coffee), I'm grateful for the chance to contribute to this vision, cultivate a better community, and learn from talented developers, scientists, and amazing human beings.
+
+## Verse 3: A Blend of Passions
+
+Apart from my scientific Python work, I find comfort and happiness in music (hence the weird way in which I decided to write this blogpost 🤣).  Being a singer brings me immense inspiration and energy, serving as a joyful escape from the multitude of tasks and responsibilities I undertake. It prevents me from becoming overwhelmed by the various aspects of my involvement. I embrace my geeky side 🤓, always eager to learn and expand my knowledge (hence the PhD) but I'm also deeply passionate about art, especially music, and I strive to be involved in both worlds. However, above all, I care deeply about communities and find great pleasure in dedicating myself to the projects I support.
+
+## Bridge: A New Melody - Joining pyOpenSci
+
+<figure style="width: 250px;margin-top:0.4em;margin-bottom:0" class="align-left">
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/leah-pyopensci.jpeg">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/leah-pyopensci.jpeg" style="max-width:90%" alt="Two women wearing sunglasses, enjoying a sunny day.">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption> I was thrilled to recently meet Leah, the Executive Director of pyOpenSci, in person. I'm excited to work with her on this new journey and eager to learn from her experience with open source communities.
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+Recently, I joined pyOpenSci, an organization that resonates deeply with my values. Their commitment to enhancing the scientific Python ecosystem through a rigorous [peer review process](https://www.pyopensci.org/software-peer-review/about/intro.html) aligns perfectly with my own aspirations. This process not only recognizes the hard work of scientists contributing to open Python tools, but also promotes standardization and increased visibility for these packages. I am excited to bring my past experiences to the table, helping to strengthen community building and outreach within this incredible project while eagerly learning from the talented individuals who are part of it.
+
+## Outro: Gratitude
+
+As a community manager at both Scientific Python and supporting community management at pyOpenSci, I have witnessed the wonders of the scientific Python ecosystem. I have encountered countless remarkable individuals and witnessed the incredible projects they have created using the available tools. In my opinion, unifying the community and promoting project integration is the key to unlocking the full potential of this ecosystem. It's not just about coding; it's about coming together, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another. I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this vision and help build an extraordinary community around the scientific Python ecosystem while walking this journey alongside amazing people. 🫶
+
+<figure>
+    <a href="/images/introduction-juanita/scientific-python.png">
+    <img src="/images/introduction-juanita/scientific-python.png" style="max-width:100%" alt="A group of people standing in front of the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center at the University of Texas campus in Austin, Texas wearing blue and black shirts with the Scientific Python logo. ">
+    </a>
+    <figcaption>This is a picture of the people who attended the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9hNnhpMgTE&t=2s"> Scientific Python community outreach BOF session </a> at SciPy 2022. We gave everyone who attended Scientific Python shirts! It was an amazing discussion with people from a lot of different projects within the Scientific Python ecosystem.
+    </figcaption>
+</figure>
+
+> It's not just about coding; it's about coming together, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another.