Hear from undergraduate student Amberlyn Saw, a senior at UC Berkeley, about why she is attending the 2018 Net Impact Conference for the first time this fall.

With the 2018 Net Impact Conference (NI18) drawing closer, it is exciting to see more of the program being released each day. The volume and variety of the sessions and speakers are sure to appeal to every attendee, whether undergraduate or graduate student, or working professional.

Every year, the conference draws a diverse crowd of students and professionals from all over the world. This year, the conference is poised to host the largest population of undergraduate students in its history. Net Impact sat down with Amberlyn Saw to get her take on why the conference is, more than ever, a great opportunity for undergraduate students.

Amberlyn had the opportunity to see NI18 from the other side this summer, as she worked as a Summer Fellow at Net Impact. She just entered her senior year at UC Berkeley, where she is studying Business Administration and Molecular Environmental Biology. This will be her first year attending the conference, so Net Impact sat down with her to hear what she is most looking forward to at the conference this October.

1. What are you most looking forward to at this year’s Net Impact Conference?

I am excited to meet people from all over the world who are passionate about social impact. I remember talking with [my summer fellowship supervisor] about the kinds of people who come to the conference, and she told me that this is the moment you realize how many people internationally have had their lives changed because of their experience with Net Impact. That is something really cool to realize.

2. Who are you most looking forward to seeing speak?

Harley Dubois, who is with Burning Man, mostly because we actually had another Burning Man founder come to UC Berkeley and talk about what Burning Man was doing to be more environmentally friendly. They also talked about giving scholarships to people with low income so they could experience it. I have always wanted to go to Burning Man.

3. Which topics are you specifically looking forward to learning more about?

I am really interested in learning more about what companies are doing around climate change. I want to learn what organizations around the world are doing to address it and, as a student, what I could do to get more involved in that movement. I am really interested in hearing more about ways that companies are mitigating their negative impact on the world and how they are taking extra measures to make sure that anything that they do does not have harmful, unintended consequences.

4. What made you want to attend the conference for the first time?

Hearing other people’s feelings about it. I remember throughout the fellowship hearing from people who said it was a life-changing event. 

5. Why do you think the conference is a beneficial opportunity for undergraduate students?

I think it is really beneficial because a lot of the conference attendees are graduate students and professionals, so it is a really great opportunity to expose yourself to careers in the social impact space. Since there is going to be such a variety of backgrounds, I think it is a great learning experience. You might find something that you are really passionate about or meet people who could be your mentors.

6. What would you say to someone who is considering attending the conference this year?

I think that if they have the means and the feasibility to do it, they definitely should, especially if they are really passionate about social impact. It is only once a year and there is no event like the Net Impact Conference because the Net Impact community is so strong and vast. Missing out would be so sad! I think everyone should go.

Join Amberlyn this October 25-27 for an unforgettable weekend in Phoenix. Register today for the 2018 Net Impact Conference before prices go up on October 16!

Learn more here about the 2018 Net Impact Conference and direct any questions to conference@netimpact.org.