My Role (and How I Got Here):
I currently work as a Junior System Engineer at Pellera Technologies, and my journey in the mainframe space has been shaped not just by the work I do, but by how I show up as an advocate in the community. I believe showing up for the community displays to newcomers we are not just obsessed about mainframe technology, but how we care information is delivered to curate curiosity and inspiration to fuel future innovation.

How Being an Advocate Changed My Career (or Changed Me):
Becoming a mainframe advocate didn't just add to my experience-it accelerated my growth.

It helped me:
∙ In my ability to find my niche within the community.
∙ My ability to relate and have conversations with different individuals within the industry.
∙ My ability to help fellow colleges in their journey. 

A Moment That Stuck With Me:
There was a moment when I shared a self-marketing strategy to a group of students which I disclaimed to ask questions regarding the vendors offerings. I followed up by, "if your able to relate to fine details of the offering, fantastic, if not, you just learned something new and possibly obtained a new connection."
That experience made me realize that having the ability to help others is extremely fulfilling to myself and even more when I see other succeed.

What I'm Known For (or Building Toward):
As an advocate, I'm becoming known for:
∙ Research, I always come prepared to a conference ready to discuss important topics.
∙ Along with the research I do, I engage with people within the industry and talk about what I'm learning or am interested at the time.
∙ I've presented on the IBM z17s AI performance, hardware capabilities, and its quantum safe offerings such as the CryptoExpress8s. I've also talked about the IBM Quantum System II and how I think hybrid quantum computing architectures will impact industries we know today.

My Favorite Way to Advocate:
My favorite ways to advocate are to mentor, speak at events, write blogs, help peers, and contribute to community discussions because I believe helping and communicating with others is how evolution occurs regarding technology and social emotional learning.

What Keeps Me Excited About This Space:
What motivates me most is how I continue to meet extremely passionate people who inspire myself to do even more and validates how this industry and community is so special.

Advice for Future Advocates:
If you want to work within a mainframe environment, I know many people reiterate this. Please check out the IBM Z Xplore Learning Platform. This will allow you to obtain perspectives on what a mainframe work environment is, how to excel in it and the technology which encompasses it. I also recommend utilizing IBM Systems Hardware documentation and start reading IBM Redbooks to further yourself in IBM's enterprise offerings.