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This is the next segment of our blog series highlighting Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors who achieved the Gold milestone, the highest 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 Oscar Santos, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s in engineering from the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
When did you join the Student Ambassadors community?
April 2021.
What was being a Student Ambassador like?
Being a Student Ambassador was not just an amazing opportunity to acquire new skills and technologies, it was also a fun way to connect with students and professionals from around the world.
As a Student Ambassador, I had access to incredible upskilling sessions, speaking engagements including Microsoft Reactor, mentoring, and judging opportunities like the Microsoft Imagine Cup and Imagine Cup Junior, and valuable resources like Azure credits and incentives for my events. I also collaborated with other Student Ambassadors on various projects including hackathons, some of which we won. Additionally, I co-founded an Azure Tech Group with fellow Ambassadors from my region, where we organized and hosted over 12 events in two years. I made my first contributions to open-source projects, participating in Bug Bashes for Microsoft products and technologies, as well as contributing to repositories on GitHub Education (Update Spanish translations by OscarSantosMu · Pull Request #41 · education/codespaces-teaching-template-py).
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Student Ambassador is the community. Through this program, I have had the pleasure of meeting many inspiring and supportive individuals who have become my friends. We share a passion for technology, exchange ideas and resources, provide feedback and tips, make jokes and share memes.
Being an Ambassador has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have learned so much, not only about Microsoft technologies, but also about myself and what I can achieve.
Oscar presenting on Github Open Source in Cuidad de Mexico.
Was there a specific experience you had while you were in the program that had a profound impact on you and why?
One experience that left a lasting mark on me as a Student Ambassador was when David Lázaro, a fellow Ambassador, and I won an Accenture hackathon. But it was not our win that made it memorable. It was the fact that I collaborated with a friend virtually. I was studying abroad, finishing my last semesters in France and David was in Mexico. Working on the hackathon was challenging due to the 7-hour time difference. We connected through video calls in the early hours of our mornings. I was still making edits to our project on the final day of submission while en route to a ski trip. Weeks later, David called me at 4 am, filled with excitement, to inform me we had won. I just wanted to sleep but the news was too exciting, and I couldn't go back to sleep that morning.
Tell us about a technology you had the chance to gain a skillset in as a Student Ambassador. How has this skill you acquired helped you in your post-university journey?
I was able to enhance my cloud computing skills. I extensively studied Microsoft's Learn modules to gain knowledge of the cloud and utilized Student Ambassador benefits like Azure credits to independently test various services. I applied what I learned from the modules and utilized Azure for projects like hackathons.
What is something you want all students, globally, to know about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?
Being a Student Ambassador is about learning, teaching, sharing and empowering people from your local communities and you get to meet amazing people along the way.
What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors, who are just starting in the program?
There is no point in being a Student Ambassador if you are not going to be active and engage with all the amazing opportunities that the program offers. It's essential to learn how to manage your time effectively. There are courses available on LinkedIn Learning that you can access as a Student Ambassador benefit.
Oscar with fellow Student Ambassadors at Microsoft Ignite Mexico.
Share a favorite quote with us! It can be from a movie, a song, a book, or someone you know personally. Tell us why you chose this. What does it mean for you?
"Discipline beats talent." Not sure if this was mentioned by someone specific, it is just something I genuinely believe. I am confident that if you work harder than others, regardless of their level of skill or expertise in a particular area, you will eventually surpass them.
Tell us something interesting about you, about your journey.
I have a background in mechatronics engineering, but I switched to cloud engineering. Maybe not forever, but I am confident that my knowledge from different domains will intertwine to bind and produce something special.
Some interesting facts about my journey (before and during my experience as a Student Ambassador)
You can follow Oscar here:
Linktree: oscarsantosmu - Official Videos, Instagram - Linktree
Website: Portfolio
Continue reading...
Today we meet Oscar Santos, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s in engineering from the Universidad de Guanajuato in Mexico.
Responses have been edited for clarity and length.
When did you join the Student Ambassadors community?
April 2021.
What was being a Student Ambassador like?
Being a Student Ambassador was not just an amazing opportunity to acquire new skills and technologies, it was also a fun way to connect with students and professionals from around the world.
As a Student Ambassador, I had access to incredible upskilling sessions, speaking engagements including Microsoft Reactor, mentoring, and judging opportunities like the Microsoft Imagine Cup and Imagine Cup Junior, and valuable resources like Azure credits and incentives for my events. I also collaborated with other Student Ambassadors on various projects including hackathons, some of which we won. Additionally, I co-founded an Azure Tech Group with fellow Ambassadors from my region, where we organized and hosted over 12 events in two years. I made my first contributions to open-source projects, participating in Bug Bashes for Microsoft products and technologies, as well as contributing to repositories on GitHub Education (Update Spanish translations by OscarSantosMu · Pull Request #41 · education/codespaces-teaching-template-py).
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Student Ambassador is the community. Through this program, I have had the pleasure of meeting many inspiring and supportive individuals who have become my friends. We share a passion for technology, exchange ideas and resources, provide feedback and tips, make jokes and share memes.
Being an Ambassador has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I have learned so much, not only about Microsoft technologies, but also about myself and what I can achieve.
Oscar presenting on Github Open Source in Cuidad de Mexico.
Was there a specific experience you had while you were in the program that had a profound impact on you and why?
One experience that left a lasting mark on me as a Student Ambassador was when David Lázaro, a fellow Ambassador, and I won an Accenture hackathon. But it was not our win that made it memorable. It was the fact that I collaborated with a friend virtually. I was studying abroad, finishing my last semesters in France and David was in Mexico. Working on the hackathon was challenging due to the 7-hour time difference. We connected through video calls in the early hours of our mornings. I was still making edits to our project on the final day of submission while en route to a ski trip. Weeks later, David called me at 4 am, filled with excitement, to inform me we had won. I just wanted to sleep but the news was too exciting, and I couldn't go back to sleep that morning.
Tell us about a technology you had the chance to gain a skillset in as a Student Ambassador. How has this skill you acquired helped you in your post-university journey?
I was able to enhance my cloud computing skills. I extensively studied Microsoft's Learn modules to gain knowledge of the cloud and utilized Student Ambassador benefits like Azure credits to independently test various services. I applied what I learned from the modules and utilized Azure for projects like hackathons.
What is something you want all students, globally, to know about the Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador Program?
Being a Student Ambassador is about learning, teaching, sharing and empowering people from your local communities and you get to meet amazing people along the way.
What advice would you give to new Student Ambassadors, who are just starting in the program?
There is no point in being a Student Ambassador if you are not going to be active and engage with all the amazing opportunities that the program offers. It's essential to learn how to manage your time effectively. There are courses available on LinkedIn Learning that you can access as a Student Ambassador benefit.
Oscar with fellow Student Ambassadors at Microsoft Ignite Mexico.
Share a favorite quote with us! It can be from a movie, a song, a book, or someone you know personally. Tell us why you chose this. What does it mean for you?
"Discipline beats talent." Not sure if this was mentioned by someone specific, it is just something I genuinely believe. I am confident that if you work harder than others, regardless of their level of skill or expertise in a particular area, you will eventually surpass them.
Tell us something interesting about you, about your journey.
I have a background in mechatronics engineering, but I switched to cloud engineering. Maybe not forever, but I am confident that my knowledge from different domains will intertwine to bind and produce something special.
Some interesting facts about my journey (before and during my experience as a Student Ambassador)
- I have been involved in seven tech communities and engineering associations.
- I have organized +32 events within these communities.
- I have spoken at other events on 33 occasions, including PyCon Colombia and Microsoft Reactor.
- I have served as a mentor eight times, including prestigious events such as Microsoft Imagine Cup, HackMIT, and Hack The North.
- I have also had the opportunity to be a judge in Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior.
- I have written five technical articles.
- I have participated in 11 hackathons, winning 1st place in some of them.
- I have obtained 12 certifications.
You can follow Oscar here:
Linktree: oscarsantosmu - Official Videos, Instagram - Linktree
Website: Portfolio
Continue reading...