“That is the only way we can get students excited about technology and the future ahead,” Developer Technologies MVP in South Florida United States, Oscar Garcia, tells us the reason why he started helping students.
Oscar has been making great efforts to engage with students in a variety of ways. For example, he managed intern programs that provide students direct experience with real systems. Oscar also joined the Internet Governance forum and invited students to participate. Moreover, he worked with an organization, MAIA, that helped their syllabus development. He designed webinars that focus on professional female engineers teaching technologies to young girls at school. One of the videos is shared on YouTube: https://youtu.be/i_AVmn_zOU8
Oscar actively visits schools and invites students to join his events, encouraging them to follow up with him after the event. Also, as the Vice President of the commission (ad honorem/I donate my time). Oscar spends a lot of time running programs funded by donations such as “Guatemala no se detiene” (Guatemala does not stop) and “Mi primer empleo” (My first job). These programs support students getting their foot into the industry.
Regarding his learnings from interaction with students, he says “This is constant, and, in fact, the main reason besides getting students excited about technology. Students always learn new things on who see the world. Most importantly, it makes them very comfortable with the constant change of generation over generation.”
According to Oscar, many presidencies in different boards in his country often ask him how to solve the issues of poverty, health, and security. He shares his insightful perspective from a professional developer who works for supporting students’ growth, “My answer is Education, but I add the magical spice: Technology. Technology allows education to reach where we never thought before and let young people see a different world and a new reality for themselves.”
Oscar’s passion for cultivating young engineers will create our better tomorrow. He encourages students to keep the excitement alive, “Technology has always something new, exciting, and different to offer. It will never get you bored, and you will enjoy your own creations.”
Microsoft
