During the highs of covid-19 pandemic, I was selected to join the IBM zSystems ambassador program. As a junior student, I was still trying to find my way. This opportunity came just at the right time.

I had worked with web and mobile technologies by then, nothing much on the server side. As a zSystems ambassador I had to complete the 2019 Master The Mainframe challenges. It was my introduction to the mainframe technologies, and I was impressed by how the mainframes work and the work I had to do on them. From then on my interest grew to a point where I had to learn more and grow my knowledge.

Being part of the IBM Z community has helped me get out of my comfort zone. I get to work with students from different backgrounds, learn their culture and their way of working. Same goes for the professionals I meet, they have added value into my life. They are supportive and make it much easier for me to learn new concepts. It has provided me with the opportunity to work on Open Source projects and speak at the IBM Z day which was a bigger step for me. I had a few anxiety attacks before the session. Despite all that, I pulled it off and gained the experience that I will use in the near future.

The program has helped me to learn how to manage my time, be a leader in my community and help those who need my expertise. It has a way of making you grow as a person, you become an open-minded individual who acquires a lot of knowledge and still realises there is a lot to learn.

As an individual, I learned to be humble, honest, teachable and open to learning when I am presented with an opportunity to. It is more like I am in another college where I learn mainframe technologies and how to work with people.