Prerna Dekate - Rookie of the Month October 2026

1) Let’s start with you!

Tell us a bit about yourself – your background, current role, and what excites you most in the world of tech.

I’m Prerna, a Database Developer with a background in database technologies. I currently work on database migration, testing, and validation, with a growing interest in PostgreSQL. What excites me most about tech is the opportunity to continuously learn, solve real-world problems, and grow through the community

2) Why PostgreSQL? What inspired you to explore or switch to PostgreSQL?

I was introduced to PostgreSQL through my work with databases and migration projects. As I started working with it, I became interested in its flexibility, powerful features, and strong open-source community. That encouraged me to explore PostgreSQL more deeply and continue learning about it.

3) What are you working on with PostgreSQL right now?

Share the cool stuff you’re building, learning, or solving using PostgreSQL.

Right now, I’m working on database migration and validation, with a focus on PostgreSQL. I’m exploring schema, data, and object-level validation to ensure migrations are accurate and reliable. I’m also learning more about PostgreSQL features through hands-on projects.

4) What’s been your biggest learning or challenge on this journey?

A lesson, mistake, or an aha moment, we’d love to hear about it!

One of my biggest learnings has been understanding that successful database migration goes beyond data movement, it requires thorough validation and attention to detail. The challenges I’ve faced have strengthened my problem-solving and troubleshooting skills and taught me the importance of continuous learning.

5) Your wisdom to rookies like yourself?

My advice would be to focus on building a strong foundation and learn through hands-on practice. Don’t hesitate to ask questions, explore PostgreSQL features, and learn from mistakes. Consistency and curiosity go a long way in building confidence and growing as a database professional.

6) Finally, describe your PostgreSQL journey in one word.

Yep, just one!

Evolution

7) Who or what has influenced your PostgreSQL learning the most?

A mentor, a community, a course, a project, tell us what or who helped you grow.

My PostgreSQL learning has been greatly influenced by my mentor, Deepak Mahato, CEO of DataCloudGaze. His guidance, practical insights, and encouragement have helped me strengthen my technical skills and approach database challenges with greater confidence.

8) What’s one PostgreSQL concept or feature you finally understood and felt proud of?

That lightbulb moment when something clicked, we all have one!

Understanding how to track and manage database objects in PostgreSQL, similar to Oracle’s `DBA_OBJECTS`, was a real lightbulb moment for me. It helped me understand PostgreSQL’s system catalogs more deeply and gave me a better perspective on how database objects are organized and monitored.