What is Community to You?
I’ve spent the past couple months considering my definition of community. Before I joined the DubHacks team, I thought community is simple and easy to understand — either you belong in one or you don’t. I first thought I could never be part of the DubHacks community. How could I when I don’t code, design, or do anything tech related?
My name is Laila, and I am going into my second year at the University of Washington in Seattle where I study business. I am an energetic person and I love being around people ALL the time. I’ve always been interested in tech and how it is constantly changing, but going into my freshman year I never thought I could be a part of the tech community. All that changed when I became the marketing lead on the DubHacks team.
I’ve been with DubHacks for eight months now, and I can’t describe how being part of such an incredible organization makes me feel. This community has welcomed me, despite my different experiences. We have worked hard to organize an event that emphasizes our common goal of social change through technology. I continue to push our team to think about the value of community for everyone and how we can foster that at DubHacks.
So what is community to you? I asked members of our team to dig deep and share what community is to them and how DubHacks represents that. Here are some of their answers.
“Community is the feeling an individual gets when they are a part of a group working towards a common goal. It’s the energy, excitement, and passion that keeps people together, and that’s the kind of creative spirit I’d love to see at DubHacks.”
“To me, a community is a group of individuals who are all different from each other, but are united by a shared passion and contribute their unique caveats to further their communal mission or goal while also growing as individuals. It’s a place where you can learn just as much as you can contribute.”
“When I hear the word community, I think of a supportive and collaborative network that is built upon individuals who have a common interest or goal. And seeing these connections being formed firsthand at DubHacks amongst individuals who come from various backgrounds is one of my favorite aspects of being an organizer.”
-Larissa Ho
“My idea of a community is a group of people that initially come together because of a common goal or set of beliefs, and stay together because of the way those involved make them feel. There is that feeling of optimism, like the “We can achieve anything” and trust we have people to stand behind us if one of us messes up a little and it is that feeling that makes it so fulfilling to remain part of the group longer than initially intended.”
This is our community. This is MY community. Filled with members who have different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We welcome everyone at DubHacks and aspire to create a more inclusive, diverse community where everyone feels like they belong. Come join our community and help us write the next chapter in the DubHacks story. Visit us at dubhacks.co.
