Road to Wiki Cohort Graduation at Meta (Facebook) Office, Gurgaon — A Journey That Came Full Circle

The glass doors of the Meta Office in Gurgaon slid open, and for a moment I just stood there, taking it all in — the bright lights, the buzzing conversations, the excitement of a community finally gathering offline. But beneath all that, I felt something deeply personal: this was the graduation of the first Road to Wiki (RTW) Cohort, and I was standing there not as a participant… but as a Mentor.

It felt surreal.

A year ago, I was on the other side — the newcomer trying to understand Gerrit reviews, navigating MediaWiki code, and figuring out how this vast open-source world worked. And now, I was guiding others along the same path. The feeling was equal parts humbling and empowering.

How the Journey Began

The story didn’t start at Meta.
It started much earlier, on the day Road to Wiki Cohort 1 was launched by WikiClub Tech.

There was this sense of anticipation — dozens of students logging in for the first time, unsure of what they were stepping into, curious eyes on camera tiles, and mentors preparing to introduce them to a world they would soon call home.

For me, that launch call wasn’t just an event; it was a reminder of how far Wikimedia had taken me, and how much further we could take others together.

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Mentoring: My First Real Step Into Leadership

I still remember preparing for my first session.

Day 1 — SQL Basics to Advanced

Co-mentoring with Krishna Chaitanya Velaga (Data Scientist-III), I watched participants slowly gain confidence as we progressed from SELECT queries to MediaWiki-level data interactions. At some point, someone solved a tricky join on their own — their mic unmuted, their excitement overflowing.
That moment stayed with me.
It reminded me of my own first breakthroughs.

Day 8 — Essential Tools for Wiki Contribution

This session with Krupal Kasyap felt like passing on a secret map.
Phabricator.
XTools.
Contribution dashboards.
Real workflows.
The kind of tools that once intimidated me were now becoming accessible to newcomers because I was explaining them.

That role reversal hit me hard: I had grown without even realizing it.

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The Graduation Day: A Moment of Pride

Standing in front of the audience at Meta, presenting our team’s achievements, I could feel the energy in the room — mentors chatting about patches, newcomers sharing their first contribution stories, organizers running around ensuring everything went smoothly.

My group had worked tirelessly throughout the program. I’d seen them stay up late to fix tiny bugs, debug extensions line by line, write patches, and wait nervously for Gerrit feedback.

And then the moment came.

Our team had the highest number of contributions — 14+ merged tasks across Wikimedia and related repositories.

I didn’t know whether to smile or tear up.

Each patch represented someone’s first step into open source.
Each review was a lesson learned.
Each merge was a milestone.

And I got to watch all of it happen.

Sr. No.	Ticket / Issue	Patch / PR / MR	Contributed By	Mentored By
1	T331193	Patch 1	Ravitej C Neeli, Harshit Malik, Lalit Kumar Yadav	Agamya Samuel
2	T335175	Patch 2	Ravitej C Neeli	Agamya Samuel
3	T364274	Patch 3	Agamya Samuel	–
4	T368342	Patch 4	Agamya Samuel	–
5	T368278	Patch 5	Agamya Samuel	–
6	T368809	Patch 6	Agamya Samuel	–
7	–	Patch 7	Agamya Samuel	–
8	–	Patch 8	Agamya Samuel	–
9	–	Patch 9	Agamya Samuel	–
10	T375969	Patch 10	Agamya Samuel	–
11	T375969	Patch 11	Agamya Samuel	–
12	T375969	Patch 12	Agamya Samuel	–
13	T375969	Patch 13	Agamya Samuel	–
14	–	Patch 14 | Sandbox	Agamya Samuel	–

and many more…

The Team That Made It All Worth It

• Ravitej C Neeli (Chitkara University) | Contribution Report 1
• Harshit Malik (Chitkara University) | Contribution Report 2
• Lalit Kumar Yadav (Alvas Institute) | Contribution Report 2

Their enthusiasm was contagious.
Their willingness to step out of their comfort zone made every session lively.
Their courage to contribute publicly — to write code knowing it would be reviewed line-by-line — was inspiring.

One of my favorite memories was Ravitej excitedly messaging the group chat at midnight:
“It got merged!!! 🎉”
Moments like that are why programs like RTW matter.

Moments Beyond the Sessions

The graduation wasn’t just a ceremony. It was a reunion of stories:

• A mentor sharing how their first patch took three weeks to get right.
• A participant describing how they convinced their college professor to let them skip class for a patch review sprint.
• Contributors posting photos from the Meta office on social media — proud, excited, celebrating their achievements.

Every conversation felt like a window into someone’s journey.
Every handshake felt like a new connection forming.

What I Took Away

Strangely, I think I learned as much as my mentees did.

I learned how to explain complex concepts without overwhelming someone.
I learned how to guide instead of instruct.
I learned to celebrate small wins — the kind that don’t make headlines but change lives quietly.

I realized that mentorship isn’t about being an expert.
It’s about being willing to walk a little ahead so others feel comfortable following.

A Thank You That Comes From the Heart

RTW Cohort 1 was possible because of the dedication and care of:

• Ankit Kumar Verma – WikiClub Tech
• Praveen Das (WMF)
• Rachit Sharma (WMF)
• IndicWiki Project at IIIT Hyderabad – Open Knowledge Initiatives (OKI)

They built the foundation.
We simply walked on it.

Closing Reflection: The Journey Continues

As I left the Meta office, I glanced back one last time.
It didn’t feel like the end of a cohort.
It felt like the beginning of dozens of new open-source journeys.

Road to Wiki wasn’t just a learning program.
It became a story — one written by mentors, mentees, organizers, and a community that believes in open knowledge.

And I’m grateful I got to play even a small part in that story.