I Came for the Free Pass. I Stayed for the Community.
Six months ago, I attended my first AWS Community Day as an attendee, simply because I got a free pass. I never expected that one event would spark my curiosity about the AWS Community and eventually take me from attendee to Student Builder Group member to volunteer at ACD Surat. Here’s the story of how that journey unfolded—and the people who made it memorable.
Six months ago, I attended my first AWS Community Day in Ahmedabad.
Honestly, I went because I had a free pass.
I didn’t have a big plan. I wasn’t thinking about becoming involved in the AWS Community or volunteering at events. I simply wanted to attend, learn something new, and experience an AWS community event.
But that first event sparked something I didn’t expect.
Curiosity.
I started becoming more interested in the AWS Community—not just the technology, but the people, the learning, and the opportunities to connect with others who were equally passionate about technology.
That first experience was organized by the AWS User Group Ahmedabad, and looking back, it was the starting point of a journey I never really planned.
From Ahmedabad to CHARUSAT
My next big step was attending my first AWS Student Community Day at CHARUSAT, organized by the AWS Cloud Club CHARUSAT.
This was my first experience with an AWS student-focused community event, and it showed me another side of the ecosystem—students coming together to learn, build, collaborate, and share their experiences.
By this point, AWS Community events were no longer something I was attending just because I happened to get a pass.
I was genuinely interested in being part of them.
Then came Vadodara
After Ahmedabad and CHARUSAT, I attended ACD Vadodara, organized by the AWS User Group Vadodara.
Every event felt a little different, but the common thread was always the same: the people.
Each time, I met new members of the community, learned from different speakers, and got a better understanding of how much happens beyond the sessions themselves.
And somewhere along the way, I also became part of my college's AWS Student Builder Group.
The person who had initially walked into an AWS event simply because he had a free pass was now actively becoming part of the community.
And then… Surat.
This time, something was different.
I wasn't attending ACD Surat just as an attendee.
I was volunteering.
ACD Surat was organized by the AWS User Group Surat, and getting the opportunity to contribute to the event from the other side of the experience felt genuinely special.
A huge thank you to Nirmal Sir for trusting me and giving me this opportunity. Being able to contribute to the community, work with everyone behind the scenes, and experience the event as a volunteer was something I had really wanted to experience.
And there was another moment that made the day even more memorable.
A full-circle moment with Shivam
I still remember my first ACD in Ahmedabad.
I had gone alone and was honestly one of the nervous people there. I didn't really know anyone, and being at a community event where you don't know anybody can feel a little awkward.
That's when I met Shivam.
He accompanied me, helped me feel comfortable, and made my first ACD experience much easier.
So seeing him again at ACD Surat, months later, was a really nice full-circle moment.
It's funny how you sometimes remember the people you meet at your first event more than the sessions you attended.
And that, for me, is what the AWS Community has increasingly come to mean.
The technology brings you to the room. The people make you want to come back.
Six months later...
When I look back, the journey is surprisingly simple:
Ahmedabad → CHARUSAT → Vadodara → Surat
Attendee → Learner → Student Builder → Volunteer
It all started with a free pass.
What I thought would be just another event became the beginning of a community journey that introduced me to new people, new opportunities, and a completely different way of learning.
I'm grateful to everyone I've met along the way and to the communities that made these experiences possible.
And especially grateful that six months after walking into my first ACD as an attendee, I now get to contribute to the community that made me curious in the first place.
From attending to contributing.
And honestly, I think this is just the beginning. ☁️🚀
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