Dec. 5, 2022 — Each year, SC seeks to elevate the overall experience for its many volunteers, especially among its students. SC student volunteers are prized for the key roles they play in supporting the conference, from assisting presenters to staffing assorted SC-related events, and many things in between. Former student volunteers who want to continue building their SC experience are encouraged to join the Lead Student Volunteer program.
By working directly on a specific conference committee, lead student volunteers become junior SC committee members, allowing them to build professional relationships and create a lasting connection in the HPC community. The Lead Student Volunteer program also provides leadership, training, and mentoring opportunities.
From One Leader to Future Leaders
To get a real take about what it means to be a lead student volunteer we spoke with Anja Gerbes, a scientist with the Center for Information Services and High Performance Computing (ZIH) in Dresden, Germany. Gerbes has been an active part of SC since 2016, starting as a student volunteer. She moved to the SCinet team as a student volunteer for SC17 and has continued to expand her conference expertise. Gerbes served as the SC22 SCinet lead student volunteer and will return to SC23 as a Tutorial Vice Chair.
Q: What is your history with the Lead Student Volunteer project?
Gerbes: SC22 was my second year as a lead student volunteer and my first year as a SCinet lead, which was such a great experience. I was well integrated into the SCinet team, where I was volunteering and beyond. All SCinet members welcomed me very warmly. Working for SCinet is an honorable task. You work hands on with managers, engineers, university members and industry partners. Although I was only a student, the SCinet family treated me as an equal. We were all the same and had the same goal: making SC and SCinet a success!
Q: What did you gain from this experience?
Gerbes: Since my first SCinet in 2017, where Bernd Mohr from Jülich was the SC General Chair, I felt the fabulous atmosphere where all of us, coming from all around the world, worked as a team. I loved this teamwork, and that’s why I applied each upcoming year to be a SCinet student volunteer again.
Q: What is the value in getting involved with SCinet for students?
Gerbes: You have the great opportunity to work with industry partners, managers, and engineers from amazing universities. If you are searching for a position after your university degree, being involved with SCinet will open up a new world for you. You can be offered a job by managers because they see valuable skills in you that they want to boost – to become better. Participating makes it very easy to get in touch with your favorite industry partner or university – places where you would like to work or do your Ph.D. Adding your SC experience levels up your CV significantly.
Q: What kinds of skills are required for the person volunteering for the Lead Student Volunteer program?
Gerbes: If you have passion in your soul and love what you do in HPC, you are definitely a good fit for SC. Being able to work as part of a team is a very important skill. Volunteering helps you see the whole picture, and makes you happy to be part of this amazing community!
Q: What would you say to someone who is considering volunteering for the Lead Student Volunteer program?
Gerbes: Wonderful decision! Go for it! You will have the opportunity to work with volunteers from all around the world. It will broaden your horizon in so many ways. Be open-minded and look beyond your horizon!
Applications Now Open
Applications for the Lead Student Volunteer program are now open. Click here to apply.
Source: Charity Plata, SC23