Namaste!
In this blog, I’m excited to share my journey as both an organizer and speaker at Nepal’s inaugural Student Community Day, held on September 29, 2024. This event was a landmark gathering that brought together passionate students and professionals eager to connect, learn, and celebrate the power of technology and community.
Pre-Event Planning
Our team spent months meticulously preparing for the event. Originally scheduled for October 5, we realized that date fell during Dashain, a major festival in Nepal. Many students would likely have left the Kathmandu Valley to celebrate with family, so we decided to reschedule for Sunday, September 29, to ensure maximum participation and accommodate our VIP speakers.
Venue Challenges:
As we shifted the date, unexpected challenges arose. We had arranged to host the event at St. Xavier’s College in Maitighar, where a Saturday event would not interfere with regular classes. However, moving the event to a Sunday created logistical hurdles, as classes would be in session. The college was initially hesitant due to concerns about managing crowds, parking, and catering. After extensive planning and coordination with the venue, we finally secured the location.
Unexpected Obstacles: Just days before the event, Kathmandu experienced relentless rainfall, leading to widespread flooding. My home’s ground floor was flooded, and like many of our team members, I couldn’t reach the college on the 28th for final preparations. Additionally, heavy rainfall caused landslides, preventing out-of-valley students we had sponsored from traveling to Kathmandu. As the rain continued, our team felt the weight of months of preparation slipping out of reach, yet we persevered, determined to make the event a success.
Event Day
September 29 was the big day – the culmination of our hard work. I arrived at the college early, relieved to see that the venue setup team had completed their work despite the previous day’s rain. I was soon busy welcoming VIPs, guests, and speakers, ensuring everyone felt at ease.
As I made my way to the main event area, I was thrilled to see the venue filled with attendees. Every seat in the front section was taken, with the crowd extending back to the lower court. Despite the obstacles, the turnout was overwhelming and heartwarming.
The event commenced with the National Anthem, followed by a warm welcome from the college principal, who introduced our esteemed keynote speakers: Mr. Sambit Bhattrai and Mrs. Jen Looper from Amazon (AWS), and Mr. Sanjeev Pant from PM Square. The day was packed with inspiring talks, engaging activities, quizzes, prize and CTF(Capture the Flag) competition. Know more about it here.
My Session
I was honored to lead a breakout session on "Accelerating the Software Lifecycle with AWS and the Role of DevOps." As this was my first time delivering a technical session to such a large audience, I put in extra effort to create an engaging experience. Rather than a typical presentation, I crafted my session as a narrative, weaving in characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to illustrate key concepts. This approach captured the audience’s attention, making complex ideas more relatable and enjoyable. Know more about the session on second part of the blog here.
Reflections on the Event :The event was a resounding success, with over 750 attendees. One of the standout moments amidst all the challenges was when, after my session, an audience member approached me to share that she previously held a negative view of DevOps due to a past experience. I was delighted to have changed her perspective, revealing the true potential and collaborative nature of DevOps.
In the end, despite the unexpected challenges, Nepal’s first Student Community Day surpassed our expectations. The passion and dedication of everyone involved made it a memorable experience, and I’m immensely proud of what we achieved. This event was more than just a gathering; it was a celebration of growth, learning, and the spirit of community.
Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more insights into upcoming events!
