Dreamforce 2017 with @Stemettes: My experience
What is it?
The countdown was on. After many weeks of waiting, then waiting and waiting some more, the week had finally arrived. November 7th ā November 11th. A one week trip exploring the city of San Francisco, California and attending Dreamforce- ā the largest software conference in the world ā. And let me tell you, the conference lived up to its title. As well as all the amazing free SWAG we were able to pick up with each visit to the Convention centre ( a lot of it), we were seated listening to some inspirational keynotes by some pretty cool people.. some of whom include Marc Benioff himself, Michelle Obama, WILL.I.AM, and JR.Ā
- (above) day one at the convention centre, where the doors lead off into the magical world of tech...
- (above) #fabfive and mascot looking extremely poised...
- (above) shaky photo following Michelle Obamaās discussion on education and empowering the youth :)
Who?
5 girls interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). The idea of travelling across the ocean to another country with 7 strangers sounds pretty crazy, but we immediately bonded and it honestly felt like Iād known these girls for a long time. (Shouts out to Kelsey, Telsia, Sharmin and Sofia š as well as Anne-Maire, Charlotte and Yasmin for being THE best organisers ;) ). We stayed in the heart of Fishermanās Wharf- so there was plenty of sight seeing to get done during the warm SF days.
Ā - (above)Ā #fabfive after our coach journey across the Golden Gate and landing in Muir Woods
During the trip STEMETTES organised visits to Facebook (we saw Mark twice and tried to internalize our excitement), Slack, Bloomberg and Dropbox, where we met with countless females working in STEM and got to q&a about their jobs and roles. I can definitely say that this part of the trip impacted me the most as I was able to see first-hand the things I could explore in my journey into STEM.
Ā - (above) rooftop view @facebook #whereTheFreeFoodAt :)
Although there were some minor inconveniences ( suitcases breaking and bags lost) which became a running joke during the trip *cough* sharmin *cough*) , food order mishaps ( which also became a running joke during the trips on my part *cough* sirloin tips *cough*), the trip ran pretty smoothly and we were able to do some incredible tourist-y things. One of my favourite parts was visiting Muir Woods (click here to read a bit of history) where we explored a long trail, as well as visiting the infamous Alcatraz Island (click here) and seeing some jaw-breaking views while on an audio-tour. One more jaw-breaking thing, the foodā¦*drools*. It didnāt take long for stomachs to adjust to the whole new world that is American food, but one thing for sure is you do get your moneyās worth š Letās just say that by the time we were off the plane and back in Heathrow many of us were waddlingā¦
Ā - (above) Alcatraz prison exterior. It was just as eerie inside as it looks here...
- (above) the interior of the prison was just as eerie...
- (above) (wo)man vs tree...@ muir woods
The biggest impact this trip has had on me?
The biggest impact this experience had? Literally being in the STEM environment was what impacted me the most- seeing all the possible routes I could take and the fact that I could incorporate my love of the humanities/social sciences into STEM. Iāll admit that I was initially really hesitant about even applying but it was because of the encouragement and persistence from my mentor Kerry that I decided to take a shot. If you are a sherpee part of the Student-to-Stemette program and are even considering entering the competition, go for it. I honestly doubted that Iād be considered a place, and when I opened up the email from Yasmin saying Iād won I almost dropped my phone in disbelief ( I was in a swimming centre changing room if youāre curious, and I think people would be quite concerned if they heard muffled squealing from a changing room). Donāt doubt yourself. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I wouldnāt have even imagined possible without the Stemettes. Although our #FabFive experience is over, the memories will live on in our mindsā¦and in the hundreds of photos we took. Literally.
- (above) fist experience of an all-american diner.. 10/10 would do again (how could I not include this)
- (above) the magnificent Golden Gate Bridge fading off into the fog...
- (above) magical night-time view from SaucalitoĀ
- (above)Ā views from Alcatraz overlooking the city skyline
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Here are a couple of links to Youtube videos of the Key Notes if youāre interested in finding out more:
Marc Benioff Keynote: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQj0SojEX0M
Equality Summit: The Path To Equal Pay: A Conversation With Natalie Portman Ā : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgjYWU-BgWs
Equality Summit: Authentic Leadership https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_58LNSmUoAo
If youāre interested in reading the experiences of some of the other girls, check out the links below:) :
https://kelsey-pie.tumblr.com/post/168237350540/dreamforce2017















