Reflecting on my year-long adventure as the Lead of the Google Developer Student Club, I can only describe it as an exhilarating rollercoaster 👩🚀 🚀
Securing this position was no a walk in the park: application forms, video submissions, interviews - what an experience? Opening the congratulatory email was a moment of pure joy, but as summer was rounding up, and the academic year approaching, reality and fear dawned on me. I stared at my calendar, overwhelmed by the responsibilities I hoped I could handle. It felt like Anxiety from "Inside Out" was at the controls, imagining every absurd scenario short of getting plumetted with tomatoes. But these fears were a sign that I was stepping out of my comfort zone, a necessary step towards growth 🤲
And grow we did. Over the past year, we built a strong, close-knit team and hosted the largest tech DevFest conference in TUD to date, with 200 attendees. We collaborated with top tech companies like Mastercard, Dell Technologies, Riot Games, Workday, Susquehanna International Group, LLP (SIG), MongoDB, SPARK, and Accenture. We even earned a spot at the Board of BICS | Board of Irish College Societies in the "Best Big Event" category 🏆
The night after our Info session, I was too thrilled to sleep. Knowing that nearly a hundred people came to hear us speak was incredible. Because only what mattered to them was our shared passion for technology, our desire to improve, and, of course, our love for pizza. We received tremendous support from Google, Technological University Dublin, and a big thank you to our big brother CS PlusPlus, especially Ruán Murgatroyd, David Corcoran, and Sadhbh, for their unwavering support 💛
It was also inspiring to know there are hundreds of similar clubs worldwide, continuing what started in GDSC last year with Oğulcan Sarıoğlu. Our nearest neigbors were from UCD Google Developer Student Club, GDSC UCC. Meeting and watching the achievements of Sarah Corbett and Chukwuebuka Amadi-Obi was a pleasure, as was receiving mentorship from Christopher Curran ✨
The key takeaways from this year?
1. Mastering team organization 🤝
2. Effective communication within the team, with students and speakers 🤗
3. Pizza and donuts always make events better 🍕 🍩
4. Starting something new can be daunting, but many people share your passion and are ready to lend a hand. The warmth of this shared passion can ease the way through any challenge 🫂✨
A heartfelt thank you to
🙌 team Keith Salhani Jenny Thao Huynh Liman Tsatiashvili Demi Aina Denys R. Aidan Mcphee Grace Ojo
🎙 speakers Vanessa Pawleta Amy Rowe Rosa L. Tasos Piotopoulos Iván T., Morgane Mahaud, Aldan Creo, Noora (Berivan) Uçan, Wedaad Haruna, Sarah Jane Delany, Rakshanda Chavan
and our event guests 💗 Everyone played a part in making this year beneficial for all of us ✨
I can’t wait to see the heights the new generation of GDSC will reach in the upcoming academic year 💫
#DeveloperStudentClubs
