Hey all! This is my first post EVER on the Veeam Community forum, which is pretty exciting! Today, I wanted to talk about the Juneteenth event Veeam held at their Atlanta offices. My fellow Product Strategy interns and I flew down on Sunday for the UR Summit, and we had the opportunity to stay until Wednesday after the summit was over in order to attend this event, and I couldn’t be happier!
The event consisted of a bit of networking with other Veeam employees, some music, a panel with two amazing and insightful guests, and the dispersal of scholarships to Georgia highschoolers. I met so many amazing people who I was able to connect with and even catch up with interns I had met during the summit and exchange information. The panel was absolutely my favorite part, though. The questions that were asked were complex, and the answers were extremely insightful. I found myself nodding in agreement at everything that was said, and I just felt it *click* in my brain. Something notable that was discussed was the importance of showing up authentically. For so long, I always put on a “mask” in order to seem more palatable, more agreeable, and just not myself. This never got me in the rooms I wanted to be in, or the people I wanted to be surrounded by. I made a change, and decided to start showing up authentically, and now I have amazing friends, an amazing internship with people I feel I can be myself around, and a feeling of contentedness with myself. This panel was truly eye-opening, and I heard many things I needed to hear.
Another thing I appreciated about this event was the scholarship ceremony. This year, Veeam was able to give away 6 scholarships to 6 different Black highschoolers that lived in the surrounding areas. This meant so much to me because it truly showed Veeam isn’t just all talk. They actually pour back into the community in real, tangible ways. I was able to meet a recipient of a scholarship from the previous year, and he told me about how the scholarship grew his interest in wanting to work with Veeam, and some tips I could give him if he were to apply. These highschoolers were so accomplished, and it was great to see them be given the tools to succeed even further in college.
Overall, I had an absolutely amazing time at ViBE’s Juneteenth event, and I was genuinely upset I had to leave so early to catch my plane (Curse you, Atlanta traffic!). I feel grateful to be working at a company who values diversity this deeply, to the point where a room was filled with people of all races who were eager to celebrate a Black American holiday and learn about Black experiences! Shout to ViBE (Veeam in Black Excellence) for putting this event on!
