[UbuntuWomen] Introduction

[rihanha]

Hello. My name is Sheri Sharp, though online I go by Rihanha, and I
joined the list a few weeks back. I was inspired to write an intro
when I received Malaika's message this morning (thanks to a fellow
'Sharp')!

I am new to the Linux world. I have recently installed Ubuntu on my
laptop and was surprised by how well it went. Only a few minor issues,
beyond just a learning curve, have come up so far.

I am a 'returning' college student, attempting to convert from 15
years as an admin assistant in the non-profit sector to the tech
world. I certainly fit the profile of a geek - I love sci-fi, comics,
science and of course technology, but despite being incredibly
comfortable in 'the tech world,' I have had a real rocky transition.
It isn't that I regret the decision, its just that I feel like I am
lost in a foreign land without a map, and no guide in sight. This is
my third attempt at getting my degree, and I am just entering my
senior year in the <a
href="http://www.uwb.edu/CSS/bscss/index.xhtml">CSS program at
UWB</a>. I am doing well in the program but still feel like somehow
I'm not good enough. I read the "How to encourage women in Linux"
article last night and just about cried with relief. It describes my
experience accurately and I feel much less like a fish out of water
having read it. Thank you for posting it, it was helpful.

I don't know yet what my contribution can be, but I know I am eager to
learn more. Though I have enjoyed the learning process in school, it
is a lot of theory and very little application. I feel like I have no
'useful' skills. I am eager to get my hands dirty so to speak, but I'm
not sure how to go about it. I'm just beginning to experiment with
Ubuntu and with writing shell scripts. My ultimate goal is to be able
to contribute code and to mentor other women. In the meantime, I can
assist with documentation, with training materials and feedback, with
websites, etc.

Any feedback on how to approach becoming a competent Linux user, and
contributor would be most appreciated.

Cheers,
Rihanha