I've always been a curious and creative person, although my life path hasn't always been linear
because of my family's financial situation and my mental health. In my teens I went from being the
"smart kid" with amazing grades to being a rebel, which resulted in me failing my second year of high school.
When I was 18 I decided to change my circumstances: I started studying independently to fast-track
my studies and catch up with my old classmates to hopefully graduate high school in time. It was the
craziest decision of my life: I had absolutely no money for private school or tutoring. It was just me,
my notebooks, an internet connection (back then I didn't even have my own laptop yet and I couldn't afford
all of the school textbooks, so I used my old smartphone for researching topics) and sheer willpower.
I locked myself in my room for a year and managed to pass both the proficiency exam for the last two years of
high school I had left and the high school final exam. It drove me insane and I gained weight, but
I finally got my High School Diploma in time all by myself, without any external help! This experience showed me
how capable I am when I have motivation and determination and it helped me increase my confidence.
After high school I wasn't really sure of what to do in my life, so I started studying History in University
because it was one of the subjects I was better at in school, although I've always naturally been the best at
English (I went to a Liceo Linguistico and also got a B2 Cambridge Certificate when I was 16).
In uni I got super high grades and everyone was proud of me... except myself. I lacked direction, motivation
and even interest. I couldn't see myself continuing on that path, something inside me wanted more from life.
So I paused uni halfway through to travel, work and begin my self-discovery journey.
I went outside of Italy for the first time in my life (visited Copenhagen and Malmo) and also attended many
concerts and festivals across Italy. I've been a Tour Leader for Eventi in Bus and right now I'm a Servizio
Civile Universale volunteer for Inac. These experiences showed me there's more to life than I imagined, and
left me eager to explore more options.
Throughout my life I've had many different hobbies: I've been a ballerina from age 5 to 10, I've always loved to
draw, read and write stories and little songs, I've always been fascinated with sciences and the Universe and I also
got into coding for the first time when I was 10 (I made a messy little fan website about a cartoon I liked).
Lately I've tried a little bit of sewing and embroidery and found a big love for traveling, attending concerts,
exploring places, taking pictures and walking in nature. I also became a minimalist and simple living enthusiast.
Sometimes I find it difficult to stick to just one thing, but my experiences taught me that I'm perfectly capable
of doing it when I want to and that I learn best when I'm allowed to try stuff out independently and with a hands-on
approach. That's why I started The Odin Project: to learn something interesting to me that is useful for work as well.
The Odin Project is similar to Challenge Based Learning: they give you ideas and materials, but then you have to build
projects by yourself, making sense of what you learnt. So far I'm liking this approach a lot as it allows me to get my
hands dirty. I think the Apple Developer Academy could be the right fit for me and my learning style and I believe my
unique experience can bring an interesting and useful perspective to the team of students. I don't know yet where life
is gonna lead me next, but I'm sure it's gonna be an exciting journey!
I know, this about page was painfully long to read but if you made it this far, I sincerely thank you.
It would mean a lot to me to be accepted into the Apple Developer Academy. It would be a dream come true.
I'm a precise, thorough worker and an independent learner with an eye for details and functionality.
I would bring all my enthusiasm to the Academy and I would do my best in the development of apps on all fronts,
all while figuring out the niche to excel in.
Thank you again for your attention. Hope to hear from you soon!
- Paola
They say we are what we are, but we don't have to be
I'm bad behavior but I do it in the best way
Quote from the song Immortals by Fall Out Boy (Big Hero 6 Soundtrack)