I just realized that it was HighEdWeb that inspired my first post in this blog in (*gulp*) 2010. One thing that has been constant over the years is that I continue to not only be filled with gratitude for the amazing people I get to spend time with at the conference, but I am also challenged to fully put into words what the experience means to me.
So as the food withdrawal that stems from beginning each morning with biscuits and sausage gravy to ending it with the most amazing barbecue I’ve experienced continues, I wanted to share a few things I am most appreciative of:
The hugs & high fives
On my campus, people continue to say “Oh you went to a conference. Was it interesting? Did you learn something?” There’s no way to convey the complete connection this conference provides at every level. Only see each other once a year? Has it been several years? It doesn’t matter. With one hug or one high five, you pick up right where you left off the last time you were face to face. I just am not able to put a price on the meaning of that. I’m not sure if anyone can. So, yes, I learned things, but it goes so far beyond that.
The chance to stand in front of the Lorraine Hotel
Turning the corner from the craziness that is downtown Memphis and Beale Street and putting yourself just feet from the hotel balcony where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968 cannot be put into words. It was emotional, it was powerful and it was thought-provoking. You can’t help but picture yourself as being truly immersed for just a moment in that unbelievable day in Memphis. And, today more than ever, as I tried to keep myself together, I couldn’t help but wonder how things would have been different today if it never happened.
The challenge to own user experience
I think one trap I fall into is that it becomes easy to work in a vacuum and think that I’m a victim of circumstance, feeling like there are forces beyond my control deciding things on my campus. Time and again, as I sat in the amazing track presentations, I was reminded that I have to own as much as I can. I can make small changes that have a big impact. I can have the hard conversations that will lead to a better user experience. I’ve challenged myself to take more responsibility for the sake of our users.
The affirmation of my abilities
I’ve said it before (probably in every post-HighEdWeb conference blog post), but I tend to get down before the conference. Hearing what others are doing, talking about what I’m working on, thinking about how I can take all this great information and make it work for us – that’s a pretty great reminder of the importance of the work I do each day on my campus. Whether it’s recognized to the level I’d like to see it be, it’s needed and it’s being done every day.
The constant reminder that we are a part of a bigger community
“The true issue we’re solving for is an opportunity deficit and not a talent deficit.” Those words from Kimberly Bryant as she talked about the driving force behind Black Girls Code were a powerful reminder to me that we need to rethink the norm to make it easier for young women to pursue their interest in computer science. It was also a served as a challenge to me as a web professional in higher education to think about how I could help create a better model of support and encouragement for these very talented women. I know I’m not alone in leaving that ballroom searching for ways to embrace technology as a tool to achieve social change.
How to sum up Memphis in one phrase?
To borrow from Pitch Perfect: “I love you awesome nerds”. And I will be counting the days until we meet again in Hartford.
View from the Trenches 