How I became a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador
In this article, I talk about how I became an MLSA for the year 2020–21 and what are the perks and benefits of the program. Like many of you folks, I first heard about this program from LinkedIn and after visiting their website I realized the perks were too enticing to not apply. Before applying I had watched quite a few application videos that got accepted and read an amazing blog by geeksforgeeks which surely made the application process way easier.
About the Program:
If you are reading this chances are you already know about the program and its benefits so I will not waste your time by reiterating everything that is already on the ambassador website but to brief it, the MLSA is a community that helps students amplify their impact and bring together their peers to learn new skills, solve real-world problems, and build communities across the globe.
Benefits:
There are 3 milestones you can achieve throughout the program alpha, beta, and gold with gold being offered to exceptional contributors only.
Along with all the perks you get can reach the whole community of MLSA on teams with whom you can brainstorm projects, conduct events, and exchange ideas.
Eligibility:
As listed on the official website, all applying students must:
1. Be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.
2. Be enrolled full-time in an accredited academic institution (e.g. college, University).
3. Have valid identification.
Application process:
The application deadline for the next cohort is November 30th and the results will be out by January 2021.
Steps 1 through 3 are pretty straight forward, you just fill in your details.
Step 4:
The written sample is the most important part of your application and you should make sure it stands out from the rest of the applicants.
I would suggest submitting video presentations for all the sections to establish a more personal touch to your application. I had submitted video submissions for the Inspire and Teach sections and a written sample for the Promote section. Luckily I have the transcript of my video submissions and I am glad to share them below.
Inspire
I basically talked about how technology played an important part in all parts of my life and why I want others to take part in technological sciences as well.
Ever since I was a kid, science and technology have always fascinated me. Some of the fondest memories of my childhood are discussions with my older brother about how a particular machine is made and the robotics behind it. When I came to an engineering college I finally had the chance to dip my hands in all kinds of technology. I took electrical and electronics as my major and I absolutely love it but by the end of the 3rd semester, I found myself leaning a bit towards the software side of things. I eventually discovered Artificial intelligence and it really grabbed my attention. It made me believe that I have the power to create something which can have a mind of its own and can procure things that I cannot even envision. I have made many projects on Machine Learning and deep learning and I am learning something new each day. I believe many students overlook these technologies because they think it is too hard for them or that they do not have the resources to try them out but it cannot be further from the truth. I want to inspire as many students as I can to start Machine learning and grow this community.
In a field like Technology, the more heads you can get working on a project the more are the chances of solving a problem successfully which is why I also believe in open source and I try contributing as much as I can.
Teach
For this section, I took a very simple topic, Inheritance, and just expanded on it. I am linking my submission here for reference.
Promote
This section depends on the college you are currently enlisted and what measures of publicity you have to offer and how you will reach the maximum number of audience for your sessions.
Step 5:
Step 5 is Social media which I think is very important too and would not recommend leaving any fields blank.
Among all these, I just didn’t have a Stack Overflow account so I opened one up answered a few questions, and submitted my application. Since November is far away if you don’t have an online website or you don’t have a technical blog or how-to videos I would strongly suggest you make some before applying.
Step 6 again is individual to the applicant, and you should fill out your relevant skills.
That is about it, I hope I could clarify your doubts on how to become an MLSA and hopefully, we can work together soon!
Thanks for reading and have a great one!
