A Conversation with the Microsoft Developer Relations Team
Hear from the Microsoft Developer Relations team about Microsoft Azure and their involvement with student communities!
At TechTogether Boston, attendees were able to connect with organizations committed towards education, growth, and the developer community overall. One of the companies in attendance was Microsoft. Hear from the Microsoft Developer Relations team about Microsoft Azure and their involvement with student communities through hackathons and other engagements!
How would you describe Microsoft Azure?
Microsoft Azure is an ever-expanding set of cloud services to build, manage, and deploy applications on a massive, global network using your favorite tools and frameworks. Long story short, it is cloud for all. We believe that the success made by the could must be accessible to every organization and every person. That starts with Azure!
How does Microsoft and the Microsoft Academic Team define the ‘learned community’?
Microsoft believes that a “learned community” is a group of people who share similar goals regarding academic achievements and attitudes. It can take many forms and is not defined by age, experience, demographic, etc. We are excited to be able to connect with lifetime learners through our work and hope to never stop learning — together!
Why is Azure particularly as a branch of Microsoft interested in building relationships with the student/learned community?
Azure, and multiple organizations within Microsoft, is committed towards the lifetime learner. Technology is constantly changing and our products and services are greatly influenced by the community. We also want to make sure that Microsoft tools are accessible and there is access for all. Lastly, we have internships, jobs, and volunteer opportunities to help join the efforts in making the world a better place — through technology and beyond.
How does Microsoft currently engage with the student/learned community and how are you hoping to grow it in the future?
Speaking from the Microsoft Azure Academic Team specifically, we currently attend Hackathons to provide mentorship, offer free Azure credit for those currently enrolled in school and individuals looking for free trials, have the Microsoft Student Partnership Program, and more. Our plans for the future include increasing our scope for Hackathons we participate in, ensuring that we are supporting inclusive practices throughout the entire planning process, and building relationships with individuals virtually that may be unable to physically attend certain events. Growth is our mission and we can’t wait to meet more and more intelligent, passionate, and curious learners in the process.
Here are some testimonies from the Microsoft Developer Relations team about their experiences at hackathons!
Hackathons not only educate but bring new perspectives to existing problems/opportunities. Hacking on technology to do great things isn’t just about what you know. It’s about being open to leaning in a learning from others.
Anthony Bartolo, Microsoft Sr. Cloud Advocate
Mentorship is a gift that is just as fulfilling to get as to give. It’s an opportunity to grow for both the mentor and mentee. I have been fortunate to have had several mentors throughout my life who have really helped me grow personally and professionally. Whether professors or field and technology experts met at Hackathons, a common thread through these relationships is that my mentor was always willing to dedicate their time to support me when I needed it.
Francesca Lazzeri, Microsoft Sr. Cloud Advocate
When you mentor a team you don’t just get to help them with technology, you get to see their ideas, and in general these ideas are to make the world better. It’s so inspiring to see students use their efforts to lift others up or work for the benefit of others.
Jim Bennett, Microsoft Sr. Cloud Advocate
We are all so busy and trying to balance the day to day tasks along with goals we have for ourselves. Being a part of the Hackathons and seeing all of the incredible projects created from start to finish shows that passion and the commitment towards education are the ways to make anything happen. I hope we all never stop learning passionately.
Jenny Morgan, Microsoft Event Program Manager
Here are some Microsoft Azure digital assets that we would like to share!
We want to remain connected with you and the entire community — new to tech, exploring tech, masters of tech. The links below can help provide additional resources on obtaining free Azure credits, learn about the Microsoft Student Partner Program, and connect with some of the Cloud Advocates that are helping every technologist on the planet succeed.
o Microsoft Student Partner Program
We would like to thank the Microsoft Developer Relations team for sharing with us and not only for supporting engineers of all identities through Microsoft Azure but also for supporting the empowerment of its future engineers at events like TechTogether hackathons. If you enjoyed what you read, follow TechTogether on Medium and subscribe to our mailing list below!
