First Things First: Reflecting My Journey from Cloud Layman to AWS All Builders Welcome Grant Recipient to Attend AWS Re:Invent 2024 in Las Vegas
It's not someone else's computer anymore. I touched, felt, experienced, and perceived it in AWS re:Invent 2024!
Published Dec 13, 2024
Back in mid-2019 or early 2020 was when I started learning cloud computing theoretically and conceptually during my Master of Science in Information Technology. It inspired my curiosity to explore cloud computing in general and Amazon Web Services (AWS) in particular. This exploration led me to collaborate on an academic publication in IEEE as the first author, during which I evaluated a couple of public cloud providers. None came closer to AWS in meeting our requirements.
Read our paper here:`` https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/9708060In 2021: I began advocating for cloud computing, realizing its potential to transform the industry, especially for startups, due to its serverless architecture.
In 2022: I applied for the AWS Community Builder Program and was thrilled to be accepted. This opportunity provided me with complementary benefits to strengthen my AWS knowledge, including AWS credits to explore services, and a free subscription to CloudAcademy (now QA) for hands-on labs. I was fortunate to share this knowledge with my undergraduate students, which further solidified my understanding of AWS's core services.
My sincere thanks go to Jason Dunn and Shafraz Rahim for making my way into cloud journey a breeze by having me onboard as AWS Community Builder for the 3rd Consecutive Year.
In 2023: I was re-enrolled in the AWS Community Builder Program for the second consecutive year.
Meanwhile, I participated in an AWS Community Day in Sri Lanka, organized by AWS User Group Colombo, where I received the second prize for advocating and referring the second-highest number of participants to the event.
Certificate Verification: https://www.credly.com/badges/805bac45-a730-45bf-966f-11c64060df75At that time, I didn’t realize that this certification would grant me exclusive access to the AWS Certification Lounge at the re:Invent conference 2024.
Later, I decided to focus on my core specialties in AWS, specifically Machine Learning and Data Science. Once again, armed with a fault-tolerant voucher, I pursued the AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty exam. Praise be to Almighty, I passed. By this point, accessing the AWS platform had become part of my daily routine.
Certificate Verification: https://www.credly.com/badges/9f6d1bb1-4d08-4b02-91b6-975b3a269f84In 2024: This year stands out as one of the best in my life for two reasons:
While I continue to learn and share about AWS as a community builder for the 3rd Year,
- I passed the final examination of Attorney-at-Law conducted by the Sri Lanka Law College, paving the way for enrollment in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka as an Attorney-at-Law, provided I fulfill other requirements.
- I always believe the Almighty is the Musabbib Al-Asbab (The Creator of the Means). If He intends something, He creates the means for it. I knew my cloud journey would benefit me, but I never imagined, it would take me to the land of opportunity—the United States—as a guest, receiving the AWS All Builders Welcome Grant 2024 as the only guy from Sri Lanka in 2024.
Through this journey, the Almighty healed my personal suffering caused by a health concern. This experience broadened my perspectives and refined my professional aspirations. (A detailed post will follow about AWS re:Invent 2024.)
The opportunity also has opened me up the opportunity to travel to the U.S. as needed, within the visa terms and conditions.
What's Next? The future looks promising by the grace of Almighty. I am on the verge of making a critical move toward my doctoral studies (awaiting a final decisive interview). I aim to apply my technical expertise and legal acumen to contribute to the field of Legal NLP (Natural Language Processing) by reducing or eliminating biases prevalent in this specific domain. I envision implementing solutions in a production environment utilizing the limitless opportunities offered by AWS services.
From academic exploration during a my Master's program to hands-on AWS certifications, the journey underscores the importance of lifelong learning. Every step—from academic publication to cloud certification—demonstrates that curiosity and commitment to learning open doors to greater opportunities.
Becoming an AWS Community Builder and sharing insights with students not only strengthened my technical skills but also built a supportive community. Teaching others often deepens one’s understanding and helps transform knowledge into impactful results.
This journey is a testament to resilience and faith in the face of challenges. From my personal health struggles to achieving monumental milestones like becoming an AWS All Builders Welcome Grant recipient and passing the Attorney-at-Law final examination, it’s clear that perseverance, coupled with belief, creates avenues for success. I believe opportunities often arise when one stays committed to growth and purpose.
These lessons highlight the blend of personal determination, professional skill-building, and faith that leads to a transformative career trajectory.
I would like to acknowledge number of people and I am pleased that I got the chance to meet them in person at the AWS re:invent 2024. I will acknowledge them wholeheartedly in an exclusive post.
#AWS #AWSreInvent2024 #CloudComputing #TechInnovation #AllBuildersWelcome
