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From Rejections to Realization: My GSoC 2025 Journey with Julia and TuringLang
In 2023, I submitted three proposals in Google Summer of Code. None of them got selected for The Julia Language, Purr Data and The Tor Project
At the time, it stung. I had invested weeks into those applications, reading documentation, designing ideas, revising again and again. But the rejections weren’t the end of the story — they became part of the path.
Two years, a lot of learning, and some incredible mentors later, I’m incredibly happy to share that I’ve been selected for Google Summer of Code 2025 with The Julia Organization, contributing to the TuringLang ecosystem!
Acceptance Letter
The Project: Browser-Based Graphical Interface for JuliaBUGS
This summer, I’ll be working on building a browser-based graphical interface for JuliaBUGS — a graph-based probabilistic programming system inspired by the classic BUGS language (Bayesian inference Using Gibbs Sampling).
JuliaBUGS is a modern tool for defining and analyzing Bayesian graphical models in Julia. But like many powerful tools, its hard to learn, use and adapt, my project aims to change that…
The goal?
To make it easier and more intuitive to:
- Construct probabilistic models graphically
- Edit model structures through a drag-and-drop interface
- Run diagnostics and visualize results from JuliaBUGS workflows — all within a browser
By lowering the barrier to entry, we hope to bring the Bayesian modeling to more users, especially those who may not be deeply familiar with the command-line or Julia syntax.
Why This Means a Lot
This project isn’t just another technical contribution — it’s personal.
After three rejections in 2023, I seriously questioned whether GSoC was for me. But those setbacks turned out to be essential. They taught me how to communicate ideas more clearly, scope better projects, and most importantly — seek feedback and build with others.
I want to thank:
- Hong Ge, for supporting me throughout this journey and encouraging me to keep trying even after those rejections.
- Raghvendra Gupta, who helped me shape my 2023 Julia proposal and believed in my ideas before they had any traction.
- And my mentor for this project, Xianda Sun, for offering the opportunity to work on something meaningful within the Julia ecosystem.
Looking Ahead
Over the next few months, I’ll be contributing to:
- Web-based graphical editors (possibly using tools like canvas JS libraries)
- JuliaBUGS internals and its model representation
- Designing an interface that helps both beginners and advanced users stay productive and focused
I’ll be sharing updates throughout the summer — from design sketches to development progress — and welcome feedback from the community.
Here’s the official GSoC project link if you’d like to follow along or check out the proposal: 👉 https://summerofcode.withgoogle.com/programs/2025/projects/4ecMbDwU
Selected GSoC Proposal
Here is my proposal that is selected for Google Summer of Code 2025 - Shravan’s GSoC 2025 Selected Proposal
Just Keep Going
If you’re a student or early contributor eyeing GSoC — and especially if you’ve faced rejections before — I just want to say: keep going. Every no brings you closer to a yes, if you’re learning from it.
I’m looking forward to a hot summer and cool contributions in open source, learning, collaboration, and building something that hopefully makes a small but meaningful impact.
Thanks for reading — and see you around the Julia and TuringLang communities!