Google Developer Student Club Lead: My Personal Journey Before, During, & After
Before
I knew to myself that I didn’t have much experience in terms of leadership and community building. I wasn’t even a fan of holding any officer position at school because I couldn’t commit fully.
That was one thing to note. I was merely observing when our Founder, around 2019, joined Leads across Southeast Asia for the Google Developer Student Club. I saw how effectively she managed the people and started the club. She conducted events, and I admired her for that. Despite being two years older than her, she became my role model. Beyond all that, I saw how people believed in her and the club.
I decided to join. There were several factors that motivated me: the people who wanted me to join, my inner desire to be a part of it since the selection process was still open, and my belief that joining this club would bring about positive changes.
I became a Member. However, I must admit that I didn’t actively engage with the team. At times, I had to remind myself that I joined the team to learn more about what it was all about. I wanted the experience. During my 2nd to 3rd year in college, I focused on finding the right circle of people to surround myself with. Then the pandemic hit, and everything went online.
I often asked the members of the club what I could do when there was an event happening but failed to take action at the right time. In other words, I wasn’t actively participating. There were several factors contributing to this. First, I didn’t have my own internet connection at home. Having a stable Wi-Fi and a fast laptop was just a dream for me. Second, I didn’t know what to do or who I was talking to. I felt embarrassed and somewhat distant due to my shyness.
Getting out of that phase was challenging, but I managed to do it and was assigned as a Core Member. I didn’t think of myself as a Core Member. I was completely detached from the world, distracted by my personal endeavors. Active participation was difficult for me. However, when I became a Senior Programmer, I immediately panicked.
I had self-doubts that I never shared with anyone on the team or with anyone close to me. But I realized that I should be grateful. I finally saw the great things and the goodness that the Google Developer Student Club brings — determination for peer-to-peer learning. I was interested, and I wanted to be a part of it.
However, I was burdened by self-doubts and could barely handle the idea of applying as a GDSC Lead while being in my final year of college. I doubted if I could handle the pressure, and I wasn’t even sure if I would be selected. A few people knew that I applied, and some pushed me towards a reality I never thought I needed in my life.
I can share a few guides on how I applied and passed my interview, but that will be another story.
During
Oh man, what do I do now?
Who am I? I’m now a Google Developer Student Club Lead at Cristal e-College. It’s a big name with Google on it, and I have to admit, it comes with a lot of pressure. Sometimes, I feel like I don’t deserve it.
But all those negative thoughts faded away after our Community Manager encouraged us. She didn’t know she was the source of my encouragement, but she truly inspired me. I was so motivated that after the Southeast Asia Regional Summit on Google Meet, I immediately started writing in my notes and drafted an event calendar. I’ll be sharing with you more of the events we were able to conduct during my term in another story.
The goal was to organize one event per month, and I was excited. I became hands-on, taking on various responsibilities. As a Lead, I organized, wrote scripts, prepared slides, called for speakers, hosted, facilitated, and handled the club on my own when others were busy. It was challenging, but I expected that. This experience was a game-changer for me.
I wasn’t an experienced Lead, nor was I experienced in hosting and marketing. However, I started and learned from my mistakes to improve for the next time. It was a continuous learning process. I also said yes to any partnership opportunity that came my way, leading to an amazing collaboration with Leads from Pakistan, India, South Korea, Europe, America, and many more. It was an incredible experience, all in a single term. It opened many doors for me.
I never thought I needed to open a LinkedIn account or go networking, meet new people from across the globe. However, I learned how to act as a valuable member of a community and as someone who wants to contribute to the fullest. I understood that my mistakes are what make the community better. I also learned to listen to the members so that I could assign roles and not have to do everything by myself. Sometimes, I took on more tasks because I didn’t want to let down the girl who was motivated after the Country Summit. The drive there was amazing, but I realized I was wrong.
But that shouldn’t be an excuse. As a GDSC Lead, I am a community organizer. I lead my members and team up with other students. I’m there for them, and in turn, they’re there for me.
During those times, I learned to appreciate the people behind me, pushing me towards my club goals. There were also people beside me, proudly watching me take on various responsibilities. From afar, there were people who admired me and found my dedication unbelievable. It humbled me and reminded me that anything is possible if we believe in ourselves and in others.
During those times, I learned that listening and observing my own community taught me more than being a lead.
After
Nothing made me feel prouder than receiving an email stating that we were qualified as one of the top-performing chapters in the Philippines. I also understood that conducting high-quality events is better than focusing on quantity alone. I learned that listening fosters better collaboration and effective communication. I embraced my mistakes and aimed to improve in the future.
This is why I firmly believe in the power of experience.
