Writing the Code for Your Life

Meet Daryna. A champion of multiple international Olympiads, including European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics for 3 years in a row, and now a student and a developer at Harbour.Space. Her journey demonstrates how fast life can switch from doing classwork to developing cutting-edge projects.

Daryna’s journey in STEM began in a simple way: “I liked mathematics and was good at it.” In 6th grade, she started programming and went on to win various Olympiads. When asked why she chose programming, her answer was simple. “In math you have to prove everything. Nobody likes to prove anything. With programming, you just do it. If it works, you keep going, if it does not, you try again until it does.”

However, a new challenge occurred. When Daryna’s academic path took a turn, she began searching for a university that was forward-thinking and would be able to support her new beginnings.

Harbour.Space offered her what she looked for. A modular program that allowed her to start her studies at any given time and, most importantly, an opportunity to work along with studying. This unique program, “Work&Study”, enables students to work at one of many partner companies while receiving a degree. “It is quite difficult to combine working and studying,” Daryna explains. “But, personally, my classes and work are at the same place since I chose Harbour.Space for my internship. I come to the office and work, when it is time for my class, I just leave my desk and then come back.” This requires maturity and advanced time-management skills, but most importantly, flexibility and understanding one’s goals. 

As for the work Daryna is doing for Harbour.Space, she is one of the developers of “Genius Lift”, an essential project for the institute. “This project allows Harbour.Space to reach out to talented young people from all over the world and offer them opportunities like scholarships, internships at partner companies or mentorship programs.” “Genius Lift” contributes to a system that helps scout talented people in STEM from around the world, ones much like herself.

The work environment is a lesson itself. Daryna’s team constantly works with people from various cultures, for instance her colleagues from Cuba. “It is fun! You get to know and understand how different people live.” Moreover, all of the communication is in English and when a language barrier appears, the conversation becomes a creative exercise. When counterparts do not fully understand each other, they have to come up with ways to get their points across. Learning to navigate these situations is a crucial skill in the modern world as it allows for effective communication.

We asked Daryna what motivated her when she first came to Barcelona. Her goal was independence, and she found a way to achieve it at Harbour.Space. “Now, circumstances motivate me more than anything else, I mean, I see a goal, I know what the purpose of my work is, I know what I am striving for."

Daryna’s story can inspire someone to pursue programming, but more importantly, it shows how staying true to your interests can open doors to life-changing opportunities. It proves that excellence in STEM is not only about a specific background, it is also about finding an environment that offers opportunities, backed by constant unwavering support.

For any young person, especially girls wondering if they belong in tech, Daryna’s journey sends a clear message: you can write your own code for success.