For the past several years, I have volunteered to mentor students participating in the Master the Mainframe (MtM) student competition, IBM’s premiere activity to introduce students—secondary and post-secondary—to the IBM Z ecosystem. I have found it very rewarding, personally, work with students learning about the best platform for enterprises and become interested in pursuing a career on the platform.
This year, the opening of MtM was integrated with IBM Z Day, an IBM worldwide event for all things Z. The day started with several IBM Z Ambassadors beginning the 2020 MtM challenge. There were 12 students in two-hour blocks, which were sponsored by various non-profits that promote inclusivity in tech, and the students were mentored by IBM Z Champions and other recognized IBM Z thought leaders. Sessions started with a brief talk by a sponsor representative, an introduction by one of the IBM staff, introductions by the student and mentor, and then into the contest!
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