I'm back for another T-SQL Tuesday, here in my new home at SentryOne. Professional development topics are dear to my heart and I was already thinking about a post PASS Summit 2017 blog. So imagine how delighted I was when Ewald Cress (b|t) announced T-SQL Tuesday #96: Folks Who Have Made a Difference. This is a great topic and tangentially related to my original idea, so I'm going to blend the two together.
Ewald asks this month's bloggers to talk about people who have made a difference in your career. Most start thinking of some of the big names in our community, who have been around for many years. And frankly, many of those people are also on my personal list of folks who have aided me on my journey.
But in more recent years, I've found a new source of inspiration, and they are not folks who are revered experts in our field. Instead, I now find inspiration in those who are "up and coming." These individuals exhibit passion for learning, a drive to better themselves, and a desire to share their own story along the way. And I'd like to introduce you to three of them:
Kevin Hill, Deborah Melkin, & Andy Yun @ PASS Summit 2017
Andy Yun & Anthony Nocentino @ PASS Summit 2017
After PASS Summit 2016, I hosted T-SQL Tuesday, where I challenged the community to help grow new speakers. Many responded, including some who had not yet spoken but pledged to do so. Kevin and Deborah are two of those who rose to the challenge and fulfilled that goal in 2017.
Kevin blogged about his New Speaker experience, after presenting at SQL Saturday Houston. And at PASS Summit 2017, Kevin stepped up by volunteering to run Game Night.
Deborah gave her first presentation at SQL Saturday Albany and blogged about her experience as well. This past month, Deborah stepped up her volunteer game by joining the Board of the New England SQL Server User Group! And if you're in the Providence area, you can see her present next month at SQL Saturday Providence.
Anthony's story is a little different. He made his speaking debut at my Chicago Suburban SQL Server User Group in January of 2016. But scarely even two years later, he presented at PASS Summit 2017!
These are just three of the awesome people who have inspired me recently. They bring fresh, vibrant energy to the technical community that I love so much. People like them are a big reason why I continue to devote so much of my own time to #SQLFamily. Their decision to try and make a difference, inspires me to continue my efforts to try and make a difference too.
And you know what - you could be one of these people too! You don't have to be a rockstar SQL Server expert to inspire others. No matter where you are at in your career progression, you can inspire others through your passion. Our #SQLFamily community is full of passionate individuals and you can join their ranks very easily. All it takes is the drive and determination to invest in yourself, then share what you have learned with others.
We all have a story to tell. And that's something we can all do.
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