We asked Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors to tell us about their biggest accomplishments and biggest lessons learned last year, as well as their aspirations for this year.
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.
Tell us about your biggest wins or achievements in 2021.
While acknowledging that the year was quite the rollercoaster ride, most of the students who responded indicated that becoming a Student Ambassador was their highest peak last year! Several also listed hosting their first event as a Student Ambassador to be a big accomplishment for them [Editor’s note: Students must meet certain requirements to advance to the Alpha level and then Beta; hosting an event is one of the requirements to move to Beta].
Getting accepted as a Student Ambassador! This marked the beginning of my dream of being associated with Microsoft in any form. --Manab Biswas |
Getting selected to be a Student Ambassador, advancing to Alpha, and then conducting my first event. --Dhanya Vinayak Hegde |
Completing all the major projects I said I would, landing my dream internship, and fulfilling my intention of changing schools and cities. --Gökçe Ceylan |
I spoke at various local and global events, including Global Azure and the Global AI Student Conference. I also advanced my technical skills, became a Microsoft Office Specialist Expert, and earned various Microsoft Fundamentals and Technology Associate certifications. --Foteini Savvidou |
What were your biggest lessons learned in 2021?
Life is full of learning experiences, and 2021 definitely was no exception for our Student Ambassadors. Here’s what they’ve learned.
I learned the importance of technology for good as it is a unique and revolutionary way to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals. --Diana Calizaya |
Hard work and dedication are necessary if you want to achieve anything big in your life. --Aditya Kumar |
I have stage fright and have struggled a lot with it, but I learned that confidence is the key to success. I also learned that you never know what will happen in the next instant, so live every second to the fullest. Life is short. --Diya Vijay |
Never stop learning and seize every opportunity to grow both personally and professionally. --Foteini Savvidou |
Have patience and self-love. --Alisson Nebraska Moya Cueva |
Keep practicing and never lose hope! --Bazgha Razi |
I learned to fully embrace change and disruption instead of wasting time trying to anticipate. Preparation is good, but it must be paired with an open mind to all possibilities and their solutions. --Gökçe Ceylan |
2021 has given all of us a different perspective towards life and anything we do in our day-to-day lives. It taught me that “The only constant in life is change” (Heraclitus). --Manab Biswas |
Never give up. Success is not a one-day journey. It is necessary to keep an attitude of happiness while we climb every step of life, be it failure or success. --Shekinah T |
Hope for the best and prepare for the worst. --Weihong Xu |
What are your goals for 2022?
I want to be more efficient in C, C++, and Python. I will try to become a Gold Ambassador this year [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]. I have also decided to go running and do yoga on a daily basis. --Aditya Kumar |
To learn more about coding and technology. To be the best student and try to keep all my responsibilities in order. --Alisson Nebraska Moya Cueva |
To solve some Data Structure and Algorithm problems and dive into open source! --Bazgha Razi |
I want to ensure my health and happiness while having new and unique experiences. Another goal for the year is to connect with more of my peers directly to help them grow in the automation and analytics technologies. --Gökçe Ceylan |
My goals for this year would be to focus on self-growth, self-love and self-care while helping my friends and family grow and work together. I also intend to upgrade to the Beta milestone by conducting my first event, which should be happening sometime soon! --Manab Biswas |
With lockdown and work from home coming up again, I want to maintain a healthy and engaging schedule. I want to explore the field of cybersecurity, upgrade to the Beta level, prepare for my internship and placements, engage in more events, and get my driving license. --Shekinah T |
My goals for 2022 are to get a very good internship and learn a lot along the way. I will make sure I complete 300-400 Leetcode questions and become a very good problem solver, and I will exercise a little because I’ve become a little fat sitting in front of my laptop! --Dhanya Vinayak Hegde |
Readers, thanks for joining us. Share with us below some of your 2021 stories and your goals for 2022. We'll see you next month.
If you’re not yet a Student Ambassador but are considering joining, don’t delay a moment longer. Learn more about our wonderful community now!
And Student Ambassadors, we’d love to hear your voice in the next Community Voices blog. Keep your eyes peeled on our Teams site for our monthly blog announcements.
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