diff --git a/doc/devel/contribute.rst b/doc/devel/contribute.rst
index 8360468235c0..558e19790d82 100644
--- a/doc/devel/contribute.rst
+++ b/doc/devel/contribute.rst
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Ways to contribute
       visualization, 3D plotting, design, technical writing, statistics, or some
       other field where Matplotlib could be improved.**
 
-      Awesome -- you have a focus on a specific application and domain and can
+      Awesome — you have a focus on a specific application and domain and can
       start there. In this case, maintainers can help you figure out the best
       implementation; open an issue or pull request with a starting point, and we'll
       be happy to discuss technical approaches.
@@ -203,10 +203,11 @@ why they are the correct approach and an improvement to the current state.
 New contributors
 ================
 
-There is no pre-defined pathway for new contributors - we recommend looking at
-existing issue and pull request discussions, and following the conversations
-during pull request reviews to get context. Or you can deep-dive into a subset
-of the code-base to understand what is going on.
+Everyone comes to the project from a different place — in terms of experience
+and interest — so there is no one-size-fits-all path to getting involved.  We
+recommend looking at existing issue or pull request discussions, and following
+the conversations during pull request reviews to get context.  Or you can
+deep-dive into a subset of the code-base to understand what is going on.
 
 .. _new_contributors_meeting: