First Impressions Matter: Reflections of an AWS User Group Registration Volunteer
Reflecting on managing attendee registrations on Luma and welcoming first-timers at the AWS User Group Philippines September Meetup, highlighting how small interactions build an inclusive tech community.
Being part of the AWS Community Day 2026: Build, Break, Repeat Operations and Communications team as a Logistics and Management Officer, our User Group Lead, Isaeus Guiang, promoted all Logistics Staff members to serve as Meet-Up Leads for each month. Alexandre Nevero, our Logistics and Management Lead, served as the Meet-Up Lead for September’s event titled "BEYOND THE BUILD," which was sponsored by Tutorials Dojo.
As a volunteer on the Registration Committee and a Luma attendance approver (as well as the upcoming Lead for our November Meet-Up), it was a privilege to review and approve registration requests, deliberately prioritizing women in tech, working professionals, career shifters, and students.
Creating an Inclusive Community Space
We certainly didn't expect such a massive turnout after processing the approvals. My fellow Registration Committee member, Maria Kristina Cas (a 3rd-year BS Computer Engineering student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila and a first-time volunteer at the AWS Meet-up), turned to me and asked, "Did you approve all these people?" since she had been in class earlier that day.
I smiled and replied, "Yes! Isn't it amazing to see so many of them here?"
My goal was simple: I wanted students to experience the AWS User Group Philippines firsthand and know that regardless of what school or background you come from, you are always welcome here.
Learnings on Stage & Beyond the Code
Once registration wrapped up and the main program kicked off, our Meet-Up Lead, Alexandre Nevero, took the stage to share "From Programming Tutorials to AWS: The Pivot That Changed Tutorials Dojo": an inspiring look at the defining decisions that reshaped their company's direction.
The lineup of speakers delivered packed, high-value sessions:
- Nerry Vyncynt Carreon shared a candid, honest look at the build-fail-iterate cycle in "Ship. Learn. Kill. Rebuild."
- Cyrus Mante introduced practical frameworks for testing before production in "Ship With Confidence: An Intro to AI Agent Evaluations on AWS."
- Kier Atendido demystified modern GitOps tools like FluxCD, Crossplane, and Amazon EKS in "Go Git It: Stop Clicking, Start Committing."
Adding to the excitement, Jon Bonso, CEO of Tutorials Dojo, hosted a raffle giveaway featuring branded T-shirts and umbrellas, and you could hear the crowd’s energy clear across the room whenever someone won.
While the talks were happening inside, I remained outside handling registration wrap-up and assisting with food distribution for our 90 attendees. During a brief breather, I hopped on a scheduled check-in call with my students from the FTW Foundation Data Engineering Program to review their homework. I turned my laptop camera around to show them the lively crowd at the Amazon AWS office, giving them a real-time glimpse of a passionate tech community gathered after hours to learn and grow beyond the classroom.
Inspiring the Next Generation of Builders
When the presentations wrapped up, the event transitioned into dinner and networking. I took the opportunity to check in with the students and ask about their experience. They shared that it was their first time attending an AWS meetup and expressed their enthusiasm for building an AWS Student Builder Group at their school. They even asked, "Sir, we plan to attend again in October and bring along our classmates and blockmates, if that is alright with you."
I smiled and told them, "Wish me luck that I get assigned to handle attendance approvals again." I also shared our upcoming meetup schedule with them: October 20, November 16 (which I will be leading as Meet-Up Lead), and December 10.
Looking around the room, I saw attendees happily engaging in conversations and reflecting on everything they had learned. Unfortunately, I had to leave early due to my long commute home.
Looking Ahead as a Community Builder Aspirant
Overall, the event was a resounding success. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Ms. Darla David (AWS Community Builder), Mark Achilles Flores, and Isaeus Guiang for guiding us, helping us lead the meetup, and placing their trust in our team.
This October, I am proactively reaching out to Karl Tristan Romero, our October Meet-Up Lead, to assist once again with attendance management and Luma approvals. My goal is to welcome even more students and career shifters to the AWS ecosystem so they can bring these learnings back to their respective schools and workplaces.
As an AWS Community Builder aspirant applying under the Data category (covering Data Engineering, Analytics, and Databases), this behind-the-scenes support is one of the key ways I contribute to our ecosystem. While I haven't been invited to speak recently (my last speaking engagement was back in July, where I presented on building data pipelines and dashboards using Kiro), I want to showcase my dedication, organizational talents, and growth as an event coordinator and active contributor to AWS User Group Philippines.
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