I’ve been navigating the tech universe for a solid decade, I’ve tried and still hold many hats. I started in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and it been an interesting journey since, to say the least. In my time one thing that I couldn’t help but notice is that there is a massive lack of diversity in most tech companies and definitely at the top echelons of leadership.
So, what did I decide to do about it? Well. I started teaching the underestimate about tech. Here’s how it goes.
Kickstarting the Cloud Quest:
Cloud computing is a huge topic these days, and rightfully so. AWS pioneered the industry when they were simply trying to solve their own problems. Cloud computing, whether is be AWS, Azure, or another platform, is critical to most careers in tech today. I chose to teach underestimated groups about tech starting here, with the AWS CCP.
In, six transformative weeks, it was my mission to take a bunch of brilliant underdogs from zero to hero in the realm of AWS Cloud.
The Vibes:
We had folks from all walks of life, aged 18 to 60, hungry to learn. Most hadn’t dipped done anything in tech before. The goal? To help them forge the foundation of their career in tech, in 6 weeks, in an environment that empowered everyone to ask questions and solve problems.
When the Going Got Tough:
Not gonna lie, we hit some challenges, especially when we arrived at the networking and cloud concepts. My mission was to translate tech jargon into regular-speak that my students could understand. Once I got to know what made each student tick, I used metaphors that could resonate with them, and their understanding grew.
Little Wins and Giant Leaps:
The aha-moments! Seeing the light bulbs pop on as students connected the dots—was one of my favorite parts.. I enjoyed watching them take the wheel, enhancing our slides with their newfound knowledge, and sharing things they learned with each other.
The Good Stuff (a.k.a., The Slide Deck):
I’ve cooked up over 130 slides of pure AWS goodness, peppered with metaphors to help those concepts stick. From the EC2 to ELB, it’s all there. Check out the image above for a peek at our table of contents, or dive into the slides below [ LINK ].
Looking Ahead:
I plan to continue to share what I’ve made for others out there because when one of us shines, things light up a little brighter.
Join the Party:
Whether you’re a curious newbie, a seasoned pro, or somewhere in between, dive into the resources, soak up the knowledge, and become part of a community. Each one teaches one.