From Teaching to Technology - Communities are Key!

[#1]

I’m excited to share a reflection on my journey as an Atlassian Community Leader Champion. 

TL;DR: The Atlassian Community is full of amazing people who know all sorts of goodies about the Atlassian stack, and more importantly - ways of working! You should join the community and/or consider becoming a Champion if cool people and good tools are your jam.

3 Words to Describe my Journey: Transition 📍, Community 🤗, Leadership 💃

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In 2020, I opted to leave my first career - something I was confident in and TBH, quite good at - a teacher. I was highly organized, an effective communicator, and creative. I was an early adopter of all the tech tools I came across, as well as a huge cheerleader for the effective tools. This often led to me being part of communities based on those tools, and often brought me to volunteer roles in helping shape said communities.

Fast forward to the first few months in my new role in an educational technology startup. I was just dipping my toes into the software industry and learning new tools and ways of working. Jira was a big part of that first job and when I stumbled upon the Atlassian Community, I was so excited to find a vibrant and active community full of helpful folks.

The Atlassian Community felt a lot like my teaching tool communities - great people coming together to support each other. I then set out to become a Leader (now Champion.) I participated in a virtual event in my local chapter (Milwaukee) and knew I’d love to help re-engage our community after COVID changed the dynamics (and former leaders left their roles.) It took a few months of strong effort in the online community, while also considering what I’d like to do for in-person events. In May 2023, I joined as a Leader (Champion) and Andrew Zimmerman has been an amazing partner in this effort and I’ve been fortunate to connect with others in Milwaukee and the surrounding area. 

My favorite part of being an Atlassian Community Champion is the connections I’ve made. I’ve especially enjoyed participating in local volunteer events with the United Way and their Techquity initiative as a group. One of our local members has made additional contributions to their Tech for Good campaign after these events.

Thinking about becoming a Champion? Think about what you’re looking for in a community, how much time you’d like to invest, and how you’d like to contribute. Questions about the transition to technology from teaching, my favorite Atlassian tools, or anything else? Drop them below!

[Brita Moorus]

This was such an inspiring read - thank you for sharing your journey! 🙌

I’m not a Champion (yet!), but stories like yours really motivate me to keep contributing and learning within the Atlassian Community. I love how your background in teaching helped shape your leadership style here - it's a great reminder that skills from past careers can be such a strength in new spaces.

Thanks again for the encouragement and perspective! 💙

[Loren Siegel]

Thanks for sharing your story @Amanda Barber  and providing us all with a glimpse into your unique journey. ☺️ 

[Loren Siegel]

@Brita Moorus - I'm excited to hear you're hoping to become a Champion! I'd love for you to participate in my upcoming Rising Star bootcamp, starting July 9th in the Contributors group! 💪🏼

[Amanda Barber]

Yay, that's exciting @Brita Moorus - can't wait for you to join!