Have you ever wanted to attend an event so badly, but you couldn’t get a ticket? Maybe you were in the 7th grade, and you spent hours dialing into the radio station for NKOTB tickets. At some point, even the most ardent optimists give up. We’ve all been there, right?
A Golden Ticket
2019 did not look like the year I would be a first-time Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) attendee. The session that I submitted was rejected. My frantic dash to secure a general admission ticket was a failure.
Because GHC reserves large blocks of tickets for sponsors, odds were I wouldn’t get a general admission ticket next year either. I had pretty much accepted my GHC non-attendance fate. Note: I could potentially apply as a volunteer to obtain a registration code for the next year.
When an invitation to spend GHC with NetApp WIT and a much-coveted registration code, my hands flapped with excitement.
More about GHC
Can you imagine a huge technology conference where the gender ratio flips?! Women become the majority. This is a stark contrast from my usual experience being an “only.” I’m ecstatic for a chance to attend the “world’s largest gathering of Women Technologists.”
More Thanks
Mercedes Adams, MJ Schmitt, Sam Moulton, and NetApp WIT — I’m in awe of your ability to create opportunities and lifts others up. Your encouragement, kindness, and time spent responding to my needy feedback requests mean so much to me. I’m forever grateful for the help to both envision and actualize a path to GHC.
Stay tuned for GHC-related blogs.