For students passionate about technology, the opportunity to attend a major tech conference like IBM TechXchange and engage with new innovations and industry leaders can be life changing.
Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with Sean Lange, a computer science student at the University of South Florida, who will be attending IBM TechXchange 2025.
Reflecting on his journey so far, Sean shared that completing his first year of university has been a rewarding experience. He has competed in several hackathons, the most recent being HackUSF 2025, where his team won the “Best use of AI” award for their app, “Fitted”. This application uses AI to generate an outfit for users for any occasion, based on the clothes already in their wardrobe.
I was curious to know why Sean values the opportunity to get involved with IBM TechXchange, specifically as a computer science student. “The biggest thing I’m excited for is the opportunity to understand the current scope of the technical field—to see the newest cutting-edge technologies that are being worked on and released by IBM.” he said. “It's an exciting opportunity to be surrounded by like-minded people who are all working towards the future.”
Among all the exciting events at the conference, Sean said he’s most excited to engage with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) events. Being able to attend workshops and labs focused on infrastructure as code (IaC) at IBM TechXchange will assist him in the development of current and future projects. For a student, these hands-on workshop experiences are a valuable chance to learn, experiment, and grow as a programmer while connecting with experts in the field.
I asked Sean if he had any advice for students hoping to get involved with IBM TechXchange. “Make tech your passion.” he said. “Have the drive to learn new things; to understand more about technology, so when opportunities arise, you’ll be sure to stand out.”
IBM TechXchange 2025 is an unparallelled chance to learn from industry leaders, get hands-on experience with new technology, and join the community of innovators shaping the future. For students and aspiring technologists alike, this conference allows them exclusive insight into how technology is being used to address current real-world business problems, and build a network that textbooks alone can’t provide.
Join the conversation! Are you a student or aspiring tech professional who has attended, or hopes to attend, a major tech conference like IBM TechXchange? Share your experiences, questions, or thoughts with us. Be sure to also check out the IBM TechXchange 2025 website, and explore the different events and opportunities the conference has to offer!