About a year ago I took a step into the unknown and applied for the Global Social Benefit Fellowship. I had no idea how much my life would transform over the next year, how much I would grow to learn more about myself and what direction I want my life to follow.
Before embarking on the Global Social Benefit Fellowship (GSBF), I was caught in between two worlds: the world of high pursuing silicon valley executives and the world of humanitarians. A year ago, these seemed like two exclusive worlds that could not be combined and were only combined when individuals wanted to boast their reputation. In a sense, I felt lost in that I wanted to help others, but I felt like my education at Santa Clara thus far had been setting me up to make the most money with my Computer Engineering degree. Yet each day as I focused on my degree and getting the best grades, my heart hurt every time I saw the homeless around my area or saw extreme poverty while traveling in place like Nepal and India. My heart hurt so badly that I felt like I had a calling to help solve these issues too visible in my daily life but I felt so hopeless at the same time.
Everything changed at MAGIS, the first event I attended hosted by the Miller Center and an unforgettable and truly special one. MAGIS in a way woke up me. I looked around and saw that I was surrounded by hundreds of people who were just as passionate about social justice as I am, who saw global problems as opportunities, and who had taken their skills they learned in silicon valley and applied them to these terrifyingly complex problems with such ambition and momentum. So maybe there was hope for me, perhaps this community of social entrepreneurs, change makers, and compassionate individuals was the one I was meant to be in. The events that followed over the next few months provided me with strength and empowerment to become one of brave individuals who took their skills and faced global challenges head on to make this world a better place for everyone.
The energy I got from working with individuals in this community drove me to work harder to find the intersection between software engineering and social justice. It has always been obvious to me how much potential the field of technology has to make change – it is the reason I chose the field in the first place. My bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering has provided me with the tools and skills I need but the GSBI fellowship has provided me with self-awareness which is crucial to using my skills in the right manner. GSBI has taught me how I can take my skills and education and use them to create a better world.
In a world where money is often the sole objective, it is difficult to find a software company that pursues their work with rigor and compassion and focuses heavily on creating software and technology to positively impact society. But once again, I was blessed and the opportunity fell into my lap in October of 2015. By a stroke of luck, I was contacted by ThoughtWorks, a global software consulting agency whose mission is to “better humanity through software and help drive the creation of a socially and economically just world.”
To achieve their mission, ThoughtWorks provides talented software and business consultants to companies around the world and with the revenue they make, they are able to turn that profit
The energy I got from working with individuals in this community drove me to work harder to find the intersection between software engineering and social justice. It has always been obvious to me how much potential the field of technology has to make change – it is the reason I chose the field in the first place. My bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering has provided me with the tools and skills I need but the GSBI fellowship has provided me with self-awareness which is crucial to using my skills in the right manner. GSBI has taught me how I can take my skills and education and use them to create a better world.
In a world where money is often the sole objective, it is difficult to find a software company that pursues their work with rigor and compassion and focuses heavily on creating software and technology to positively impact society. But once again, I was blessed and the opportunity fell into my lap in October of 2015. By a stroke of luck, I was contacted by ThoughtWorks, a global software consulting agency whose mission is to “better humanity through software and help drive the creation of a socially and economically just world.” back towards their social impact projects. When I interviewed with ThoughtWorks, I felt as if I had found home. Everyone I talked to was kindhearted and compassionate towards each other, contrary to the stereotypical cutthroat environment a software developer normally experiences in silicon valley. They were individuals who had all felt they were called to create technology for social impact and their interview process clearly weeded out those who didn’t share the same passion. I worked hard and was lucky to receive an offer from ThoughtWorks and am excited to start the next chapter of my life with them after graduation.
Working with GSBI has reminded me how a single human being can make the largest impact. I have met individuals from around the world who have forgone their comfortable easy lives and dedicated their lives to those in need. Social entrepreneurs are more than just extraordinary people. Their companies are not just providing clean drinking water and clean cooking stoves, they are not only saving thousands of lives with their products, but they are empowering individuals to make the most out of their lives and providing them with opportunities they wouldn’t have had otherwise. Albert Einstein once said,
“I am absolutely convinced that no wealth in the world can help humanity forward, even in the hands of the most devoted worker in this cause. The example of great and pure characters is the only thing that can produce fine ideas and noble deeds.”
The great and pure character that Einstein refers to is something I feel I know more about now than I did before the GSBI fellowship – it is something that only one can understand through deep personal reflection and growth. My work with GSBI has inspired me to go forth and make the greatest impact I can with my life, with unreasonableness, awareness, and great character.