On Friday of Week 10 we had our "Red Hoodie Ceremony" which mirrors that of the tassel thing you do during your college graduation ceremony, except that we were instead donning our hoodies in front of the familiar lecture hall instead of onstage somewhere big and foreign.
I remember when our cohort manager asked us to try on their sample hoodies to determine our size, many of my cohortmates talked about wearing theirs in the comforts of their home, which is what I would imagine many many people do with all their hoodies, and what I do as well. Some of them said the red was too bright for their taste and others said they might layer theirs inside their other jackets.
Me? I like to wear mine to all the events I've RSVP'd for, whether they're hosted by Hackbright, PyLadies, Women Who Code or anyone else. I'll admit that red is not something I naturally gravitate towards to, but in this scary post-Hackbright life of trying to find a job, I've realized that I need a cloak of bravery to tackle this thing called being-in-the-outside-world. I picture myself as "Little Red Riding Hoodie" navigating her way through the dark forest of Black Hole-ish job application portals and rejections and facing the big bad wolf known as Imposter Syndrome who's ready to devour any confidence she has in herself. Okay this metaphor is getting a little out of hand, but you get what I mean.Although I don't like drawing attention to myself, I've found the Hackbright red hoodie to be almost like a rest stop next to a long stretch of highway. It signals familiarity and comfort. There have been quite a couple of times I've been approached or recognized by a fellow Hackbright alum because of my red hoodie, and likewise I also feel a huge sense of relief when I spot a red hoodie in a sea of unfamiliar faces.
And in those moments of warm welcomes I feel like I'm exactly where I belong.
