From Student Assistant to YPN Ambassador: My GIS Journey that Led to Esri User Conference
Meet the Student Assistants
Every year, a team of students from around the US helps at Esri UC. From the first registration smiles to the last closing session, from keeping the Esri Store stocked to assisting with award ceremonies, Student Assistants are everywhere. They are the quiet force behind the smooth running of the conference.
This year, I was proud to be one of them. Not only that, but I also had the privilege of serving as a YPN Ambassador. These roles made Esri UC 2025 feel like a homecoming, a chance to reconnect, give back, and grow. Check the Student Assistants' group photo below. Can you spot me in the photo?
Table of Contents
My Esri Journey
My Esri journey began before grad school when I worked for a few years as a Technical Support Analyst at Esri's Middle East and Africa Support Center in Jordan. That seed grew in 2025 at the 2025 Energy Resources GIS Conference, where I volunteered as a Student Assistant for the very first time. It was a small, focused event, but it left a big impression. I met Esri staff, worked behind the scenes, and left thinking: I want to do this again, bigger, louder, and with even more heart. (If you want the “prequel” to this story, you can read my Energy Conference blog: Powering Connections.)
Fast forward to July 2025. I walked into the San Diego Convention Center as a returning Student Assistant, this time at Esri UC, the largest GIS event in the world, and as a YPN Ambassador.
What followed was one of my life's most affirming, exciting, and unforgettable weeks. Teamwork, conversations, friendships. It felt like coming full circle. This time, I was not just learning. I was giving back, connecting deeper, and finding my place in the GIS community.
Esri Student Assistantship Program: Everything You Need to Know to Apply
The Work You Do Not See (But Should)
Being a Student Assistant means you are everywhere, sometimes even before 7 AM. My shifts included:
- Working at the Esri Store (tip: everything sells out fast)
- SAG Award assistant
- Registration for the Petco Park Party
- And… walking the equivalent of a marathon every day
It is fun, fast, and fulfilling, but also essential. Every smooth session, every smiling face at registration, and every freshly stocked T-shirt had a student assistant behind it.
Arrival, Kickoff, and Inspiration
I arrived early. Very early. Standing outside the convention center before badge pickup and the introduction started, I soaked it all in. That first moment felt electric.
But more than the swag, it was the people who stood out during the Education Summit. Educators, professionals, and fellow students, each with a story that made me feel surrounded by legends.
One of our first group activities was our dinner, that included a recorded message from Jack Dangermond reminding us how important our role was and encouraging us to have fun, which we absolutely did. We met Dawn Wright, Esri's Chief Scientist, who once stood where we were as a Student Assistant herself. Her story, from student assistant to Challenger Deep explorer, proved that our paths could lead to extraordinary places. What an inspiration! We also got to meet the YPN advisory board: Raquel Perez, Caroline Sampa, Logan Stevens, and Rosemary Boone.
Plenary Day: Inspiration on the Big Stage
Plenary Day began with a YPN morning coffee walk, casual chats about careers, trends, and the excitement buzzing in the air.
Then came the Plenary Session itself. Jack Dangermond's opening gave me goosebumps. The Earthrise image, reflections on Earth as a living system, and the words: You are helping maintain, manage, and integrate knowledge about everything, everywhere. I will never forget it.
One of the most moving moments for me was hearing Sister Esther, who is a principal at the Agustinian School- Chitré, Panama, and her students share how they introduced GIS into their school during the pandemic. What started with 17 students has now grown to more than 300, using geospatial tools to tackle real issues like water shortages, biodiversity loss, and urban growth. Their passion and voices were unforgettable. As one student said, GIS gave them “a platform to be heard for the first time." It was a powerful reminder that maps are more than data; they are tools for empowerment and change.
That afternoon, I was back at the Esri Store, still trying and still failing to show restraint. I closed the day at the Women in GIS Social and the Map Gallery Reception, where I met inspiring women like Michelle Williams, the Survey123 Jedi! My geologist's heart was thrilled to meet fellow Earth science people too.
Sessions, Socials, and More
The week was a blur of sessions, socials, and serendipitous conversations. Highlights included:
- Science Summit at Esri UC, with powerful sessions on climate change, sustainability, and designing Earth's future.
- YPN 10th Anniversary Celebration, where we had the chance to meet Jack Dangermond. His advice was unforgettable and straightforward: Be interested, not interesting, and find a purposeful life.
- International Regional User Group Social, connecting with Esri users worldwide with no borders and proving that maps really do bring people together.
- Expo adventures, including getting a portrait sketched at the Bad Elf booth, was the best unexpected souvenir of the week.
- And of course, the scavenger hunt and passport activity kept us busy and laughing. I am happy to say I was one of the winners in the scavenger hunt.😎 Check out my passport badge on my account, super cool, no?)
The YPN Connection
Being a YPN Ambassador gave me a new purpose: to support early-career professionals the way others supported me. I shared my story, as an international student, a Muslim woman in geoscience, and someone who once thought she did not belong in rooms like this.
I gave my first lightning talk at the YPN "Connecting the Dots" session. Was it perfect? No. But it was mine. It reminded me that growth only happens when you step into a bit of discomfort, and that vulnerability is a strength. I spoke about my journey, my first map, and my plan of becoming a triple YPN Ambassador (Content, Community, and Events), and right after UC, I made it happen. So here I am: proud to say hello as the newest YPN Triple Ambassador!
Moments That Stayed With Me
- Expo Hall Energy, exploring the booths felt like walking through the future of GIS. From AI-powered tools to hands-on demos, every conversation opened my eyes to new possibilities. I even left with a hand-sketched portrait from the Bad Elf booth.
- AI in Action, from the plenary to technical workshops, AI was everywhere this year. Seeing how it is already transforming analysis, visualization, and workflows gave me both excitement and responsibility as someone stepping into this profession.
- Esri Community Interview. I was interviewed about my experience in the Esri community, and I am beyond excited for it to be published soon. It feels special to know that my story will live on as part of the Esri Community, inspiring others the way I was inspired when I first got involved. I am also taking part in the Esri community's competitions this year. Wish me luck!
- Inspiring Conversations, some of my favorite moments were the unexpected ones, like meeting educators and writers whose work I have admired from afar. Their passion for teaching, storytelling, and using GIS to reach wider audiences reminded me that our field is not only technical but also deeply creative and human.
- Petco Park Party, a reminder that while we are serious about GIS, we also know how to have fun. Also, bubbles and Fireworks?! Am sold!
- Closing Session, space for feedback, reflection, and gratitude. A beautiful end to the week. The students' assistants even got featured on one of the slides, which made us all so excited.
Reflections
UC 2025 was more than a conference. It was a celebration of possibility, a reunion with old friends, and the beginning of new connections. It felt like a homecoming, but it is also a launchpad. I cannot wait to see where this journey takes us next.
During the plenary, Jack posed a question that stayed with many of us: Is AI exciting, or is it scary? It was a question that sparked real conversations throughout the week, including at the Science Summit.
On one hand, AI is already accelerating research, helping us analyze data faster, visualize complex systems more clearly, and even discover patterns we might otherwise miss. On the other hand, it comes with responsibility. Running large data centers and training AI models has a real environmental footprint. As scientists, technologists, and students, we cannot separate the benefits of AI from its costs.
So I find myself asking:
Is AI in GIS exciting, or is it a little scary?
How do we make sure it empowers rather than overwhelms?
And how do we balance the promise of AI with the responsibility to care for the planet we are mapping and studying?
I would love to hear your perspective, because UC reminded me that the future of GIS is not built by technology alone, but by the people who choose how to use it.
Appreciating Creative Lab
There is one team that deserves a very special shoutout: Creative Lab.
Every banner, every sign, every carefully designed space that made the San Diego Convention Center feel like the heart of the GIS world was their work. The maps, colors, and visuals that greeted us everywhere we turned did not just decorate the conference — they told a story and made us feel part of something bigger.
As Student Assistants, we got to see firsthand how much thought and creativity goes into the smallest details, and it reminded me that community is not only built through technology and conversation, but also through design. Creative Lab made Esri UC 2025 not only an event, but an experience.
Recommendations
To my fellow students
- If you are thinking about applying to become a Student Assistant, Do it! Say yes to everything. You will leave with more than a badge and a tote bag. You will leave with mentors, friends, and memories that will stay with you long after the closing session.
- I can't recommend joining YPN enough. Best community support you could ask for!
- Learn as much as you can, take advantage of all the resources you have!
To future Student Assistants
- Wear good shoes!! (You will walk a lot)
- Don't be afraid to ask questions or socialize. The main goal is to build connections and step outside of your comfort zone!
- Take it all in. Walk to Petco Park with your roommates, even if your feet hurt, wake up early for coffee chats, and say yes to the opportunities that scare you just a little.
- Smile. You never know who you're talking to.
To the professionals in the GIS community
Please keep supporting, mentoring, and encouraging the Student Assistants. A smile at registration, a quick conversation at the Expo, or an invitation to share a table at lunch can change the course of a student's journey. I know because those moments changed mine.
If you have any questions or concerns, please comment below or reach out. I would be more than happy to address any doubts.
Final Thanks
A huge thank you to the Esri staff who made UC 2025 possible, to the Student Assistant leadership team Joe Galarza, Xochitl Garcia, and Gary Lee, for guiding us with patience and humor, and to the YPN Advisory Board Raquel Perez, Caroline Sampa, Logan Stevens, and Rosemary Boone, for creating a space where early-career professionals can show up as their whole selves.
To my fellow Student Assistants, you made every early morning, late night, and mile walked worth it. From restocking merch to cheering each other on at talks, you turned work into joy. I can't mention all 58 of you, but I could not have asked for a better team!
To everyone in the GIS community I met who stopped to chat, share advice, or swap stories: thank you for reminding me why I love this field. Y'all made my week!
And to everyone reading this: I would love to connect if my experience resonates with you. Whether you are a student, a professional, or somewhere in between, let us keep the conversation going, because the GIS community is at its best when we build it together.
My LinkedIn👉🏼 Leena Abdulqader
Until next time, UC
