Day 4 - the last day of the GHU conference; and for me, it was also my last full day in the USA. Honestly, the days here flew by quickly, and I didn't expect the trip to end so soon.

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Regardless, we still had a packed day ahead for Day 2 of the GHU conference. The agenda for today is as follows:

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1. Attending Opening Keynote Day 2 and various other sessions such as Ignacio's panel discussion about 'AI in Education'

2. Fireside chat with Stormy Peters (VP of Communities at GitHub)

3. Get a bunch of GitHub Swag by doing quests

4. Farewell dinner with the GitHub Team at 'Hed very thai' restaurant

5. Enjoying the night-life with fellow campus experts at the pier

6. Beer sessions coupled with heart-to-heart conversations on various topics - ranging from light-hearted stuff such as generic chit-chat about life to more serious topics such as gender, diversity, and inclusivity

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We all woke up early in the morning to head to the conference. One of the campus experts, Michal, suggested we take a new form of transport to the conference - i.e. the tram. Everyone agreed, and off we headed to the nearest tram station. It was certainly a unique experience taking the tram. The seats were pretty clean and spacious, and we got to explore a new route filled with various scenic SF attractions along the way. A short 30mins tram trip and before we knew it, we arrived at the conference center.

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Attending Day 2 of the tech conference proved to be quite a challenge for some of us GitHub Campus Experts. It was very apparent that, for some of us, our social battery was drained by this point. The numerous interactions with one another, many GitHub staff, and numerous participants of the conference took a toll on the social battery that we had. It was admirable that we still mingled and interacted with other participants of the conference. The main motivations for this day were to conserve our energies to the best of our abilities and power through the day :)

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Before the conference began on Day 2, Naren and Seohyun were interviewed and featured on GitHub's YouTube channel. The host essentially asked Naren and Seohyun questions regarding the GitHub Campus Experts program, and for their efforts, they were rewarded with a prize ticket, that can be used to redeem a prize at the GitHub Shop. Larry and I were just standing beside Naren and Seohyun during the interview, and for that, we also got the same prize ticket. Lol, thanks Naren and Seohyun :P...

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During Day 2's Opening Keynote - there was a section featuring Becky - a brilliant young woman who has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and interacts with her computer exclusively with her eyes by using open-source software such as EyeMine (forked from OptiKey) that's hosted on GitHub. The eye gaze technology by EyeMine essentially allowed her and others with cerebral palsy to control the software interfaces using their eyes, thus allowing her to be able to wear multiple hats - i.e. to become a student, artist, gamer, and even developer.

 

This particular section on coding accessibility touched my heart as I looked at the video during the conference. Coming from a healthcare background, I made the switch to become a software engineer because I do innately believe that I can help more people using code/software, and seeing others doing the same thing resonated something within me. It taught me the importance of accessibility features and inclusive technology when we develop software. If you are interested in that section of the Opening Keynote, here's a link to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_o9kFPVeiw&t=2674s

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It was soon time for lunch, and Larry suggested that we get cards for Juan Pa and Dyson, for being such good hosts during our time here at GHU 2023. The cards were swiftly bought by Larry, and all the campus experts took turns to write their well-wishes for both Juan Pa and Dyson, as we munched on our delicious lunch.

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We then had a fireside discussion with Stormy Peters - VP of Communities at GitHub. One of the questions posed during the session essentially asked why GitHub should sponsor future batches of campus experts to GHU. I thought of the answer deeply for a long time, and when it was my turn to answer, I said this - "1 trip benefiting 8 countries. I think that's a pretty good deal.".  In all honesty, I do wish GitHub to continue providing scholarships for future batches of campus experts to come down to the GitHub Universe conference - because not only did we learn new technical knowledge, but many of us also learned important life skills or life lessons from one another's experiences. In short, it was not only just a short respite from the hustle and bustle of our usual daily lives, GHU 2023 was also a trip that improved our lives technically, emotionally, and spiritually.

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After the fireside session, it was time to collect free GitHub swag for completing the various quests at the event. Most of the campus experts took the GitHub Neon LED light - coincidentally, it was also the most expensive item at the GitHub shop (priced at USD 160+). Afterward, we headed over to the farewell dinner session at 'Hed Very Thai' for a scrumptious meal of Thai food. During the dinner session, the farewell cards containing the well-wishes of the campus experts were presented to both Juan Pa and Dyson, and we all bonded over a hearty session of food and laughter.

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As dinner ended, it was apparent to all of us that the official agenda of the trip had come to an end. We said our goodbyes to the GitHub staff - i.e. Juan Pa, Dyson, Kaitlin, and Morgan, and after parting ways with them, someone suggested we should have a drinking session to spend our last night in San Francisco. We headed over to our hotel, showered, and freshened up, before heading to the nearby pub. Unfortunately, upon arrival at the pub, we noted the sketchiness of the venue and decided it was best not to drink at that place. Instead, we opted for a safer option - to walk along the pier, enjoy the cool breeze and dark blue night sky, and perhaps purchase some beers from a nearby convenience store or brewery, and have the drinking session in our hotel's lounge area instead.

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A variety of topics were discussed during the drinking session - ranging from random ramblings about life to more serious topics such as gender, diversity, and inclusivity. Some campus experts shared their philosophies, wisdom, and insights about life; while others shared about their dreams and hopes for their futures. Personal struggles and challenges were also shared as well during the session. Perhaps, it was the realization that this was our final shared night together that loosened our inhibitions and fostered a sense of unreserved openness.

We, the campus experts talked till 2 or 3 am that final night. The shared understanding that this was our last night gathering together allowed us to shed our usual guardedness and embrace a profound vulnerability that transcended multiple topics that probably would not have been shared between friends who only knew each other for a few days. The heartfelt exchanges revealed our true selves to one another as we talked about what our alternative careers would have been if we were not studying CS/SWE. Eventually, we made the bittersweet decision to head back to our rooms, as some of us had an early flight tomorrow.

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With the promise of a final breakfast rendezvous at iHop at the crack of dawn, I bid farewell to my friends and made my way back to my hotel room.

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