Written by Ava West, former intern at Intel
Hi, I’m Ava – a former intern at Intel, working under Amber Hibberd, who had the privilege to contribute a small piece to the larger development effort that is The Zephyr Project. If you’re reading this, you likely already know what Zephyr is. If not, then you’re probably where I was when I first began searching for an internship during my undergraduate career.
Coming from a rigorous but traditional academic background, I was largely unaware of industry demands: the vast number of hardware architectures beyond ARM, the intricate team dynamics that can push a project forward (or hold it back), and the ever-evolving landscape of efficient technology. It was overwhelming. Fortunately, I was welcomed by a team at Intel who not only introduced me to Zephyr, but also helped me understand the industry and discover where I could fit within it.
My work at Intel focused on developing a stack analysis tool in Python for system performance optimization. This involved leveraging compiler flags, deconstructing Zephyr’s memory model, applying principles of computer architecture and navigating intricate build and debugging files. It was challenging, particularly given the scale and depth of Zephyr’s codebase. Funnily enough, one of the most difficult aspects of my project was preparing my code for upstream contribution. With so many developers involved and the rigorous quality controls designed to preserve Zephyr’s value, the code review process was intensive. But it was a deeply educational experience and I came to appreciate the critical role these workflows play in maintaining the high standards that enable Zephyr’s success.
The deeper I explored Zephyr, the more confused I became but that disorientation taught me to specify my skills. No one person fully understands Zephyr’s entire codebase and that’s by design – it’s a large project with expansive capabilities built by a global community. I remember sitting in a conference room with my mentor Peter Mitsis, drawing scribbled diagrams on the whiteboard to grasp the structure of the kernel’s codebase (given that he is the kernel maintainer). And in true Zephyr fashion, he approached my bewilderment with kindness, curiosity and encouragement. The entire team did.
Sitting down on my first day with my work laptop and a notebook was one of the most intimidating moments of my life. I had to start…but how? The Getting Started Guide quickly became my closest companion, along with the amazing teammates who answered my questions. All of whom were active in Zephyr’s development themselves. I couldn’t have landed in a better environment. Anas Nashif, Amy Occhialino, and Flavio Ceolin – a TSC chair, Board of Directors chair, and Security architect respectively – were all part of the team I joined. I was in awe. Failing in front of such a highly accomplished group was my biggest fear, but not once did they make me feel small or incapable. On the contrary, their support and encouragement empowered me. That’s what I love most about open-sourced projects: the people. Zephyr is as approachable and successful as it is because of the constructive, far-reaching and remarkably talented community behind it.
Now, as I graduate and enter the job market, I’ll be looking for ways to continue contributing to the project that not only helped me grow professionally, but personally as well. And of course, I’ll be able to build up more skills, form more relationships and add to my ever-growing resume.
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