Where can being a degree student lead you to? For me, it led to New York to represent GitHub and the Isle of Man at Hackcon, the number one global organiser conference! As the Isle of Man’s first GitHub Campus Expert, I’m lucky enough to be presented with countless opportunities, such as this trip stateside.
My experience in New York began with a night in Times Square – it’s true, the big lights really do inspire you – before heading on a coach two hours upstate the following day. I spent the weekend at Camp Pontiac, an American summer camp & the venue of the conference. The conference was a jam-packed 48 hours of talks, discussions, and activities. From discussing community building (a discussion I led!) at the tennis courts, to networking around the campfire, this wasn’t your typical conference.
It was fantastic to meet many organisers doing degrees just like me, and really opened my eyes to how the rest of the world tackle degrees and summer internships. I even met somebody who worked at Microsoft for the summer! Throughout the event, I learned all sorts of tips, tricks, and techniques about running events from students across the globe, as well as sharing some of my own knowledge by leading a discussion entitled ‘Enabling the Community Through Inner Vales’.
Now for a little bit about GitHub and their Campus Experts Program. Being part of the GitHub Global Campus can provide any student with some fantastic benefits, including the opportunity to apply to become a Campus Expert. As a campus expert, I gain access to some fantastic tools, opportunities to attend events like Hackcon, and support with running my own events, such as hackMan, the Isle of Man’s first ever hackathon!