4 Moments that Made 😎 (Jaysies 2023)

Fri, 08 Dec 2023 23:10:50 -0000

Jaysies 2023 - The People and Moments that Made my Year

This was a whirlwind of a year! But it's come to a close. That said, it's time to reflect on the year and highlight some of the folks that have genuinely made 2023 one of the best years for me!

What are the Jaysies

In 2020, I made up award that I give to folks I interact with that are absolutely phenomenal. It is a part of giving people their flowers, but also a way to time-capsule the reality

This year I am doing things a little different to see how it goes. Instead of just people, I'm highlight people with a particular moment as it means something to me.

Winners

Best Personal Moment - Giving my Python Versus Hip Hop Talk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee1DhKMJ_Kg

This was a talk that I wanted to do since 2022. It was so encouraging to get on a stage and talk about music and how it means as much to me as the Python code I write. It also encouraged me to become a little more personal in my style of presenting. I'm already trying to think about how I can do this with other projects.

Best Group Moment - DjangoCon 2023 and the Black Python Devs Ice Cream Social

I've often felt like the only black person in the room when I go to these events. For the first time I was able to connect with folks BEFORE starting a conference and it was one of the coolest moments in my history as a Python Developer.

Best 1:1 Moment Mani-Pedi's with Frank Wiles

I've been on a mission to improve my self-care. When I suggested getting Mani/Pedis with RevSyS founder Frank Wiles to discuss Python community, leadership and other things I didn't know what I was signing up for.

Thank you for one of the coolest moments in Salt Lake City! Always down to get our nails did in the sketchiest parts of town. (Okay maybe not)

Best Boss Moves: Dawn Wages

I'm not going to share everything that I watched my work homie accomplish this year, but let me just say I worked my butt off to keep up. Dang Dawn, you are doing so phenomenal with your work and your work with Djanonauts.space and the PSF.

You're doing fantastic and I'm looking forward to how you move in 2024 with this momentum you've built up.

Honorable Mentions

People that have made the Black Python Developer Community ✊ - Velda Kiara, Oleksis Fraga, and Kojo Idrissa

Y'all the real MVPs. Like you've taken on so much so that I can move and think and take a breath you keep me from going over my skis and let me know when my vision is beyond my reach.

Y'all have given me focus in this and have made us grow faster than I ever imagined. #BlackerThanYourFormatter

My amazing coworkers that genuinely make work manageable - Anthony Shaw (Da Boss), Pamela Fox, Sarah Kaiser

Like y'all are just fun to work with. You also make me a better developer, and advocate. I hope to take all the lessons I learn weekly from y'all with me throughout the entirety of my career.

Other folks around MSFT that have taken time to chat with me and make me a better technical employee - Brett Cannon and Scott Hanselman

Two individuals that have made time for me in my insecurities and my inquisitiveness. You've been there to remind me that real G's move in silence like lasagna. You also reminded me that you don't need C to contribute to Python's core (Their real core IMHO is their community).

I hope that I can continue to learn from you and steal some time from you every now and then and if I can return the favor, don't hesitate to ask.

Old Bosses that talked to me and thought about what was best for me - Nina Zakharenko & Ashley Willis

Whether you were giving me career advice, life advice, or just cheering me on and reminding me that "I've worked hard to make this happen", I truly thank you. It's a pleasure to work with you (even if technically we didn't work together you'll still be one of the best bosses I've had).

Thank you to everyone who made 2023 fantastic! He're to a wonderful 2024!