This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub.
This is the next segment of our blog series highlighting Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors who achieved the Gold milestone, the highest status level attainable, and have recently graduated from university. Each blog in the series features a different student and highlights their accomplishments, their experience with the Student Ambassador community, and what they’re up to now.
Today we meet Aanchal Mishra, who is from India and recently graduated from Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey Women's University with a bachelor’s degree in electronics.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
When you joined the Student Ambassador community in 2021, did you have specific goals you wanted to reach, such as developing a particular skill or quality?
I went to an all-women’s university and noticed that all my fellow college mates had great potential. Women have a lot of potential to excel in tech, and many programs are running currently to help women improve their position in tech, but we were not exposed to these opportunities, so my initial goal when I joined the program was to bridge the gap between my collegemates and helpful opportunities. The program didn’t just help me achieve my initial goal, it also helped me figure out the path that I wanted to walk in my life. I've always been passionate about technology and building communities, and thanks to the Student Ambassadors community, my passion for developer relations was ignited and the program helped me improve my technical skills as well as soft skills.
What were the accomplishments that you’re the proudest of and why?
One accomplishment that I’m really proud of is reaching the highest milestone in the Student Ambassadors program and getting upgraded to the Gold milestone. [Editor’s note: this is the highest status level one can achieve as a Student Ambassador and can only be attained via nomination by the program’s Community Program Managers or by other Golds]. During my time in the program, I conducted regular open talk sessions along with one of my fellow Student Ambassadors in the community platform channel for women and gender minorities in tech. Our sessions inspired so many women in our community that they approached us to conduct these sessions more often. Seeing our impact, we one of the program’s Community Program Managers also approached us to host a special panel discussion with Microsoft employees, which boosted our confidence and inspired many fellow Student Ambassadors.
During my tenure, I conducted 25+ sessions (both technical and community oriented) and mentored students within the community to create a positive environment. In the end, it’s really satisfying to help other tech enthusiasts learn the skills that will help them reach their
goals.
What are you doing now that you’ve graduated?
I started my career in developer relations as a Community Intern at Postman in the Student Programs group in 2021 and recently joined them as a Developer Advocate. Communities have a special place in my heart, and I thoroughly enjoy supporting communities and mentoring tech enthusiasts. I do plan to continue my career in developer relations for the foreseeable future.
If you could redo your time as a Student Ambassador, is there anything you would have done differently?
To be honest, I would not do anything differently. Everything I did in the program, every achievement I earned, every opportunity I lost, got me to where I am today.
If you were to describe the community to a student who is interested in joining, what would you say to convince them to join?
The Student Ambassadors community is an opportunity to build your skills and make valuable connections. It gives you the opportunity to interact with others, organize events, be a leader, increase your networking circle, and find the mentors you have been searching for.
What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors?
Embrace the opportunity that you are receiving. Do not hesitate to start organizing Azure events and writing blog posts to educate your peers about different Microsoft technologies. Most importantly, learn as much as possible, and have fun doing it. Make sure to regularly check Microsoft Teams to make sure that you do not miss any notifications, sync calls, or opportunities [Editor’s note: Teams is the platform through which the Student Ambassadors and the program management team communicate and collaborate].
Do you have a motto in life, a guiding principle that drives you?
“Step by Step, day by day.”
Another guiding principle that drives me: Rest, Reset, Restart, Refocus. As many times as you need to.
What is one random fact few people know about you?
I can’t go a day without listening to music! I believe music is the best solution to any problem. It feeds the heart with what it needs at the moment.
Good luck to you in all your endeavours, Aanchal!