From Student Ambassador to MVP: A Blueprint for Tech Success

Mark Smith: 0:19
Welcome to the MVP show. My intention is that you listen to the stories of these MVP guests and are inspired to become an MVP and bring value to the world through your skills. If you have not checked it out already, I do a YouTube series called how to Become an MVP. The link is in the show notes. With that, let's get on with the show. Today's guest is from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He works as an urban of roads and drainage. As an IT and map designer, he was first awarded as MVP in 2024. Roads and drainage. As an IT and map designer, he was first awarded as MVP in 2024. He is interested in data analysis, cloud computing and administration. He's passionate about leveraging IT tools to turn ideas into innovative solutions that reshape the workplace. You can find links to his bio and socials in the show notes for this episode. Welcome to the show, Pascal.

Pascal Burume: 1:15
Hi, thank you, Mark, thank you, ed. It's honor here to be among your guest speaker. You know, becoming an MVP, it was, you know, something like I couldn't imagine. So I work hard and you know, I've started my journey as a Microsoft student ambassador for two years and Once I was student ambassador they helped me to create communities where I can share my knowledge and where I can talk to a different student for international countries. During my journey as a student ambassador, I've been connected with different people. So each people give me, you know, this passion to continue learning and to continue to share my knowledge. And in December 2023, so I decided to get my opportunity to become a Microsoft MVP. Opportunity to become a Microsoft MVP. And I couldn't imagine that in January 2024, I get my notifications that, hey, congratulations, now you are Microsoft's MVP.

Pascal Burume: 2:27
And as an MVP, you know, mark, it's like it's not like only a reward, but it's like a testimony for your hard work, for your, for your faith, for your skills that you put in to help social, to help people, to help organization, to achieve more. And you know, in my country it's really challenging. You know it's really challenging because so, basically, the Democratic Party of Congo is the French countries. So, you know, trying to merge French and English, it's really challenging. So, you know, I push out my boundaries and I say, you know, if someone can, I can succeed. I can also succeed. So, and you know, in September 2024, I got my concert contract, the UNDP, and once I was there, you know I've been facing challenging. You know, because when you're an MVP, people thought that you know, because when you're an MVP, people thought that you know everything. You know everything.

Pascal Burume: 3:41
And sometimes, you know, I get stuck and I say, wow, so what can I do here? What can I do here? Who can I ask a question? But they say but you're an MVP, you're an MVP, you're supposed to know the solutions. And you know, because it's like my idea, like when I have a problem, you know, I say no, no, no, I can't give up. I have to work very hard. Like it was not the first time, you know I faced this problem. Like I have to do when I face a problem, I need to take a step back, I have to figure out, take a moment for rest and figure out what was the problem, how can I solve it. And you know this kind of idea it's helped me to solve solutions.

Pascal Burume: 4:27
And today I've finished my contract and my employee was really satisfied with my work because I've been, you know, driving with power apps. You know building solutions and working with Power BI for improved decision making. And they conduct some training with different suppliers and I receive a very good feedback. And you know, as MVP, you know it gave me this opportunity to be recognized and considered to UNDP. It was really quite challenging, you know, because it's an international organization, it's like a United Nations program. You know there is a lot of people from around the world who work there and each one has his own mentality. And you know, as MVP, you need to take all these things together and to see how you can balance and propose people solutions.

Mark Smith: 5:30
How did you first get involved in the Student Ambassador Program, because that seems to be like the start of your Microsoft journey. Is that right?

Pascal Burume: 5:37
Yeah, yeah, you know, when I was 16, I was being passionate about Microsoft technologies, like the first time when I see a computer with Windows, with Microsoft. It was something you know, something that pushed me to know more, to be skilled more about Microsoft. And I was asking myself, I was wondering, how can I be involved in this program in this community? Because in my country we don't have enterprise, we don't have an organization, especially which is partnering with Microsoft. So, and one day in university I saw on a WhatsApp group chat someone post how to become Microsoft Learn Student Ambassadors. Then I say, wow, it's quite impressive, let me try my luck. So, and the first time I submit my candidature, I fail. The second time I fail and the third time I say no, no, no, no, no. I I won't give up. I want to know what's going on, why I every time I'm rejected is it why I'm in congo, democratic public of congo? Or maybe I don't respond very well to the question then I take a step back. I figure I take the key questions. I look on YouTube how can I speak? How can I propose my ideas? And all of this kind of information helped me to prepare well, my first candidature and the first time I test automatically, I think. After three months I got my notifications that I've been recognized as student ambassador. It was impressive. It was like it is me or it's not me, because how am I student ambassador? Then I say, okay, I've been accepted in the program, but this is just a beginning. I have to continue the road.

Pascal Burume: 7:51
So after becoming a student ambassador, you know, once you have been admitted to the program, there is four milestones that you need to achieve. The first time yeah, the first time you are like a new. It's like. The first milestone is like you are new. This is the first milestone and you need, for example, to complete some challenging like reading, some Microsoft Learn Path. So once you are finished to read some path, it depends it can be on Power Platforms, it can be on C-Shop, it can be on Pythons, but it needs to be on Microsoft Learn Path. So once you finish this path, after that you're going to achieve this path. That's becoming an alpha milestone. As an alpha milestone, there is also some prerequisites that you need to achieve and it's among like conduct, some workshop conduct, some session, build something, participate in community involving. And after this, this milestone, you become now a beta milestone. So beta milestone, it's like it's quite challenging because to move to beta to goals, it really, you know, it's like you must demonstrate how you have your leadership, your community involvement and how you are participating in the program. So do you participate in mentorship program?

Pascal Burume: 9:21
So I've made my best to become a Gold Student Ambassador because these all requirements I've achieved, I've succeeded. And once I've done it, I received it was in July 20, I think it was 2022, if I remember I received my notifications that I've been recognized as a Gold Student Ambassador. Then I say, wow, it's really quite impressive. You know, and in my country we are free gold student ambassadors. It was like, you know, a movement that we came out and this movement it's been like pushing, like we decide to pushing out boundaries. We need to demonstrate people like, even if you are in French countries where there is many challenging, like democratic fabric of congo, you can do best you can. You can show people like, with my skills, with technologies, it can help. It can help for you to open some um, some frontiers where you can share your knowledge when you, where you can connect with different experts. And becoming a gold, you know, it also helped me to open my mind. You know to say that anything is impossible if you put your skills, your devotion, your motivation in work to show people. That's who you really are, even though you are in GRC. Who you really are even though you are in GRC.

Pascal Burume: 10:47
And in December 2023, I became an MVP in Windows Insider program. That was my first time to become an MVP, so you know it was like a partnership with Microsoft as a student ambassador, you know it helped you to know how Microsoft MVP program works and you know I've been. You know, as you are, in Windows Insider program. Sometimes we need to write some activities, you know, like testing some new features, proposing which features we would like to see in the new updates. It was really impressive and because the Windows Insider program was approaching to the end, then I decided to move forward, to move up to business applications. Then I said how can I do that? Let me see. Right now I'm a Go Student Ambassador, I've been experienced as an MVP Individual Insider and I'm a content writer. I say, let me continue to push out my boundaries.

Pascal Burume: 12:01
So sometimes I purchase some books about what is new, articles, what is new, finding what is new in technologies, and I have a particular interest about Microsoft technologies and when I see a book, I purchase it and I start reading. I try to figure out some topics and say, okay, okay, okay, it's okay for me, let me write some articles, some blogs, to help people to know with these technologies you can build this kind of solution to help people. And it was like for me a an open space, because it's a word I can explain myself. It's where I can explain my knowledge. You know, I can explain people how you can build solutions based on technologies, because in my country it's really hard, you know, organizing a session on YouTube because it's not everyone who has access to the internet, you know, because there's a problem. So, yeah, a good way for me to attempt many people is writing blogs and in writing blogs, it helped me, you know many people to have access to my knowledge, to have access to some resources, to have access to some ideas how Microsoft works, how, for example, power Apps work, how you can combine Power Apps with Azure OpenAI services, how you can combine Power BI with Fabric and inside, adding Power Automate.

Pascal Burume: 13:35
It's quite impressive because you don't have limits. I say you don't have limits because you have a faith, you have a devotion, you have this motivation to prove people. If you have a devotion, you have this motivation to prove people and you are also an MVP and all these kind of responsibilities. It gives you this strength. You know this strength to say no, let me go far. Let me go far. Today I do these things. Tomorrow I'm going to do something big. And all these achievements, mark, it helps you to approach something that is new and something that is bigger.

Mark Smith: 14:39
Yeah, this is so inspiring your story. Tell me how many other MVPs are in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Pascal Burume: 14:51
Yeah, right now we are three.

Mark Smith: 14:55
Three across all categories.

Pascal Burume: 14:57
Yeah, we are three. Wow, yeah.

Mark Smith: 15:02
That's amazing because I read I think there's 150 million people in your country. Does that sound right?

Pascal Burume: 15:09
Yeah.

Mark Smith: 15:10
It's a big country and there's only three MVPs.

Pascal Burume: 15:14
Yeah, that's what I was talking to you about. Yeah, it's really amazing. You know, it was like a period we said we need to go very far, we need to help other people, other youth in my country, that it doesn't require to be, for example, in USA, in Australia, in New Zealand, to become an MVP. You can become an MVP even though you are in DRC to become an MVP. You can become an MVP even though you are in DRC. You just know how to follow the skills, how to show people what you are capable of doing things. And you know, yeah, becoming Microsoft Student Ambassadors is like a nap on the door for me, because it helped me to know some technologies and as I learned something I tried to translate to other people. I tried to motivate other students and other professionals who are really passionate about Microsoft, because sometimes people think it's something like a mystery. They say how can I become an MVPp? It sounds like a. It's not. It's not possible for me because, you know, I have a lot of constraint. I have a lot of constraint, yeah, but I I show them. No, it's not about limit, it's about devotion, it's about motivation, because if you have a dream about becoming something big tomorrow. You need to prepare it, you need to work for it and if you need my advice, I can share with you my path. I can share with you my path. If you think it's really hard for you, let it become low level.

Pascal Burume: 17:02
Try to know which technologies are you feeling like you are good with it and, based on these technologies, I can help you how you can dive in in Microsoft environment, because Microsoft is very big. There is a lot of things that you can find there. There is different platforms and if you say I like programming in C Sharp, I say okay, it's okay, I can show you you can use maybe Visual Studio. There is Copilot Studio. There is different tools that can help you to improve your programming language and as soon as you are starting, it will be. It will help you to dive in Microsoft ecosystem. And behind on that, you can have access to some credits like, for example, you can have access to Azure. You can have access to Azure AI Foundry. You can also have access to Microsoft Power Platform If you are feeling like you want to try something new about low-code, no-code, and today you see Mark with Power Platforms. It's like a new technology that some enterprises here are trying to embrace and you need to have some skills about Power Platforms.

Pascal Burume: 18:18
And sometimes I can see some people, some students, say how can I be diving in proper form? I say it's quite simple. Let me show you some microsoft's learning path. You know there is a some hackathons. I know maybe it can be hard for you to to watch via watch watch course or maybe watch a lesson in english, but just try, just try to push out your boundaries. There is also a way for you to learn in French and slowly you can change French to English. It's not directly but it takes time.

Mark Smith: 18:54
Yeah, Do you. Where do you blog? Where do you post your blogs?

Pascal Burume: 19:02
I post my blog in Microsoft Educator.

Mark Smith: 19:07
Do you have the URL to that?

Mark Smith: 19:09
I don't have the URL and I'd like to put it in the show notes for the episode so people can see how they can get in touch with you, because I think your story is absolutely amazing and I think that in your country there's a massive opportunity right for people to get skills that are useful everywhere around the world.

Mark Smith: 19:31
You know, one thing I've seen in my career is that people that might not have any background on the power platform and they get it. They learn how to build a power app and they use power automate and they start using these tools and it doesn't take long for those tools to increase on each other and then all of a sudden, they've got a tool set that people want to buy. Right, they have skills that people want to buy and you can work all over the world and I think with a country your size, there's potentially a lot of people could develop the skills. Learn from you, learn the pathways that you took, learn how to get access to Azure and the various tools that Microsoft provide, get on Microsoft Learn, learn the training material and yeah, but I assume that things, like you know, is it easy to get computers and internet connection and all that type of thing for students. How do they go about that so they can have something that they can actually use to work on?

Pascal Burume: 20:34
So before I think before, like for example, if we can take, we can come back to five years ago. You know some resources was quite expensive for students to get it. But you know, to this day, with evolution I can say, with new customers, with new partners and how technology has been evolving, some resources are not very let me say, very difficult to have it, because before you can buy, for example, a computer, for example, for 1,000, but today you can have it for 200, 100. So I think it depends on which. It depends on with a student, with his motivations and how, which kind of vision he wants to become tomorrow, which kind of vision he wants to become tomorrow, which kind of person he wants to become tomorrow, what is about his dream. And because when you want to teach some students here, you need to target, because it's not everyone who is really, I think it's really easy to deal with it, because some of them are really, I think who is really easy to deal with it? Because some of them are trained, for example, in English. If you say, okay, some kind of technologies require you to know English, they say no, no, no, no, I don't feel comfortable with English. So you know this is the kind of person that you need to eliminate for your targets and you focus on people who are passionate in English, for example, and people who are passionate in technologies, because I've seen many students, really, who have been amazed what I've done.

Pascal Burume: 22:15
You know, mark, I've been amazed and they say, wow, sometimes they thought that I'm working with Microsoft. Sometimes they thought that it looked like you're working with Microsoft. I say no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not working with Microsoft, but I've been evolving with Microsoft communities and I've been connected to some Microsoft employees, engineers. It's like it's not mystery and I think, according to resource finance, it depends on students and it depends on motivations. But I'm doing my best to help each one, each one who is really passionate about technologies, because sometimes I can help students when I show them what they are capable of doing with technologies.

Pascal Burume: 23:06
It doesn't mean that if I'm sitting here, I'm watching a YouTube video, I say, wow, this is really amazing, how can I do this? And I can tell him no, no. I can tell him no, no, it's OK, you can do it, like, for example look, there is, for example, power Platform. There is, for example, copilot Studio. You can build your own agent easily. You don't even know like trying to find a lot of lists and a lot of calls on YouTube. It's very, very easy. Just find the right path. Copilot Studio, and if you want a trial version, I can give you access to my tenant and it's like a start, like a start for him to become passionate about technology.

Mark Smith: 23:51
Pascal, it's been incredible hearing your story and your passion. Thank you so much for coming on the show. I can't wait to meet you in person one day. I'm sure it's going to happen and I look forward to when that does happen. Thank you again for coming on the show.

Pascal Burume: 24:09
Thank you, mark. Thank you, it's a pleasure for me.

Mark Smith: 24:16
Hey, thanks for listening. I'm your host business application MVP Mark Smith, otherwise known as the NZ365 guy. If you like the show and want to be a supporter, check out buymeacoffeecom forward slash NZ365 guy. Thanks again and see you next time. Thank you.