Dad and mom with school-aged youngsters have a really cool backstage move. Effectively, it’s extra like a front-row seat. It’s a front-row seat that’s a window into surprise and ever-shining hope for the long run.

Whereas my husband and I’ve no youngsters of our personal, we’re lucky to have entry to this front-row seat, due to members of the family who invite us to our nephews’ and nieces’ college occasions and child actions. We’ve had our share of sports activities video games and meets, college performs, bingo and fundraising, profession days, and my favourite, STEM (science, expertise, engineering, math) festivals. It’s a very completely different world that we wouldn’t have in any other case skilled.

At my niece’s center college STEM honest within the fall of 2022, I had the nice privilege to current and present Cisco Collaboration’s AI applied sciences to center college college students — the digital natives who’ve by no means lived in a world with out this expertise. It was very simple and intuitive for them to make use of and play with the applied sciences I confirmed. As I mentioned how the expertise works, these younger individuals rapidly got here up with new concepts and options on easy methods to apply the expertise to many different use circumstances. As a expertise junkie, this type of interplay takes me to cloud 9. Certain, it was fairly cool displaying off cool tech. However what was even cooler was that these twelve-year-old youngsters obtained it, and understanding that they did means our expertise just isn’t solely heading in the right direction, however we’re additionally shaping and influencing future expertise.

I used to be completely content material to depart that STEM honest on my geeky cloud 9 excessive, however a younger man, Rayaan, approached me as I used to be packing up my sales space. I discovered later he was a highschool senior who additionally offered on the honest, working a small group coding session. He launched himself and requested, “So, do you’re employed for Cisco?” (I had proudly used my Cisco Webex nameplate on my sales space.) I naturally replied, “I certain do! Are you aware what Cisco does?” And at the back of my head, “Cisco: Additionally named the very best place to work within the U.S. three years in a row!”

The remainder of the dialog left me in awe. This younger man not solely knew what Cisco does, he had a reasonably good thought of its historical past and its contributions to the applied sciences we dwell by every single day. As we completed packing our sales space contents and headed to our automobiles, he then proceeded to tell me that he was making use of to the Cisco Excessive Externship Program — an expertise designed for highschool seniors. Therefore, he did his analysis on Cisco. He even commented that he thinks it could be a cool place to work someday when he enters the workforce.

Quick ahead to summer season 2023. My new younger buddy did get into the Cisco Excessive Externship Program. Did I assist him get into this system? Maybe slightly, but it surely was all him. I had no thought who even ran this system at Cisco. I did give him steerage on his resume and software, practiced interviews with him over Webex, and gave him recommendation on easy methods to be totally current throughout that interview, and any interview, for that matter. However, Rayaan obtained into the externship program all on his personal and excelled.

Reflecting on this engagement, I spotted one thing I had by no means thought of earlier than. Some Cisco colleagues have the nice privilege of getting their very own youngsters enter the workforce, and generally it’s even at Cisco! I’ve considerably skilled a glimpse of that. Again within the day, firm homeowners named their enterprises “Firm Title and Sons” in preparation for his or her youngsters getting into and taking on the enterprise. I do know I can’t rename Cisco and don’t have any youngsters getting into and taking on the enterprise. However what I’ve realized, although, is that at the same time as a person contributor, I’ve an awesome accountability to carry out as greatest as I can in order that the longevity of Cisco can make sure that younger individuals like Rayaan have a chance to have as nice a piece expertise and fulfilling profession as I’ve. After all, doing my greatest work is the skilled factor to do, however doing my greatest work additionally means leaving a legacy: supporting Cisco’s goal of powering an inclusive future for all so younger individuals can proceed the work we present Cisconians have began, and for them additionally to have an awesome place to work when their flip comes.

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