Diary of a Devcon VI Scholar
Finding the gem
I am Daniela Marotazo, 22 y/o, Peruvian, IncaKola lover (as you may notice), day dreamer, communicator in process and crypto enthusiast since I got to understand this revolutionary blockchain technology.
The magic question: How did you get into crypto?
This questions says more about you that your favorite song from The Beatles and -forgive me Beatles fans- but I think is even more special and has a unique tint of everyone’s essence.
For me it happened in the beggining of this year (2022) when I was going through a crisis. I was starting a new chapter of my life: new reality post-covid, new characters, new challenges and -of course- new problems. The new beggining era brought the most unexpected and wonderful things to my life.
It basically began when I was introduced to NFTs: this non-fungible something that had ridiculous prices that I couldn´t understand what made them so valuable. Long story short: Curiosity killed the cat.
(Spoiler Alert: This cat found a new life in the universe of crypto)
In this world of misspelled words I found answers, opportunities and the most supportive communities that made me realize that Web 3.0 is something that I wanted to keep learning to influence positively in people’s lives as it happened with me.
Ways to contribute: You don´t have to know rocket science
We all discovered crypto through different channels (trading, coding, art, education, etc.) that turned it attractive and easy to understand in the beggining. If you don´t come from the tech side (as I do) I assure you there is room for you! Besides the usual developing duties, there are tons of spaces for people with social skills. It needs educators, communicators, psychologist, researchers, translators, accountants, lawyers, etc… (In simple terms: We need talent like you!)
As it went with social association for the evolution of humanity, it is also necessary in w3. So, please, don´t hesitate in joining the communities! Rules are to follow and interact: intro yourself in their chats and keep an eye on the activities and opportunities they’re providing (they can go from an informative Twitter Space to scholarships to hack around the world).
Once you become an active member, you won´t be only contributing to the community but learning a lot in the process and gaining visibility in the space. In very few months you can turn from zero knowledge about w3 into a valuable builder. Everybody has the capability to build -or buidl- in a meaningful way.
The opportunity
Opportunities come and go. The best about the crypto space it is that there are plenty of them all the time. When I started being an active member and went through the fomo (fear of missing out) era. I noticed that I had to be present in the events and even started dreaming about the first crypto event in my hometown…
Through the communities I got to learn the impact of these opportunities in my life and started applying to every single one. Something interesting about these is that it doesn´t matter your age, nationality, sex, race, gpa, Candy Crush score, anything. What really matters is your will to always keep learning and the passion you put in it. That´s how I got my first crypto job at ETH Global and some months later how I became a Devcon Scholar.
Devcon Scholarship
The real journey began on July. I was thriving to have a chance to go to this World Cup of Blockchain and through the communities (like I said previously, the best source for opportunities) I met the scholarship program.
It consisted in: 1) Devcon VI ticket, 2)flight to Bogotá , 3)travel stipend 4) accomodations 5) EF care. Besides the first four facilities, it is the fifth that makes the difference from any other because you become a forever important piece for the Ethereum Foundation.
How to become a Devcon scholar?
The process is traditional: You fill a form -which has to reflect why you are or can be valuable to Ethereum- and later, the interview. The interview will last less than 15 minutes and instead of suggesting you “should” convince them to select you, I think you have to be really sure about why you own the potencial to take advantage of a ocassion like this and take it to the next level.
"If you don´t believe in yourself, no one will do it for you” — Kobe Bryant
Everybody is a potential scholar. However, only 50 people in the world are chosen.
Pre - Devcon
The prep sessions are for you to know more about the Ethereum Foundation, the team, the other scholars… Some may be “mandatory” but if you are a real Ethereum fan like I am, this will appear as master classes from the top people in the ecosystem.
And what was planned within months in advance will arrive unexpectedly. And you will be taking your plane to the trip of your life (at least for all of us, the crypto nerds).
The Devcon trip
It took 3 important events in a row:
- ETH Bogotá: The biggest hackathon in Latin America so far!
- ETH Latam: a gathering with conferences and networking for ETH latino communities.
- And last but not least… Devcon: The convention of web 3.0 with talks, workshops, music sessions, relax stations, life performances, a traditional chiva bus and more!
Each of them were very special and had huge impact in the latam territory that will be largely visible in the following years.
The gem
The thing i cherish the most from this events/experience is the people I shared it with (Shout out to Roberto, Shaka, Mashal, Chloe , Luka, Kichu, Raymon, Laura, Paola, Cami and the list could go on…) Perhaps they didn´t teach me how to program a smart contract but they confirmed that the foundation of any protocol, gadget, cryptocurrency, nft project or whatever .. is good and hardworking people that want to make this world a better place.
Non of us is a superhero but we all have the capability to improve the space with our own crypto powers.
Like my dear friend Shaka said: “Todo es posible”.
(And if he says so, I think it is).
I want to send an special thank you to the Ethereum Foundation for providing opportunities like this, specially to Madison, Serena and Aya for always be there for us. I will be forever thankful for your support and super excited to buidl the next billion.
If you’re interested in connecting with me and want to know more about my experience, feel free to ping me in Twitter and Telegram as @incakolitazero or LinkedIn as Daniela Marotazo Wiese.
