Two years as a C# dev and Microsoft Student Partner

A few days ago, Microsoft France published the results of the MSP selections for the year 2014-2015. The number of MSPs has decreased from over 200 to less than fifty. While the community was growing, Microsoft decided to reduce the team and keep the most involved and motivated individuals.

I am thrilled to announce that I will be starting my third year as an MS Student Partner. This is also an opportunity to look back on the past two years.

My beginnings in programming

My first lines of code were written in AppleScript. Watching Iron Man 1, I was fascinated by Jarvis, Stark’s AI assistant. Then I bought a Windows Phone, and by the end of 2011, I decided to continue programming. I learned C#, and my first app was published on the Store. I also made progress through Pierre Cauchois’ learning Lync sessions.

In May 2012, Microsoft invited me to a meetup where I met Nathalie Belval (So@t), Aurélien Lemoine (ClevLab), and Rudy Huyn. It was the first time I was interviewed, which felt strange. After getting to know Rudy better, he insisted that I apply for the MSP program. Shortly after, I learned that I was selected, which brought me great joy!

Microsoft Student Partner, the discovery

In concrete terms, what did it bring me? Access to a community of motivated and ambitious students, an MSDN account that provided access to a range of high-quality Microsoft software to optimize my productivity (Windows, Visual Studio Ultimate, Azure, etc.). It was also an opportunity to meet other MSPs and MVPs at Community Days, like on October 12, 2012, where I had the chance to meet talented individuals who are now both colleagues and friends.

Shortly after, Windows 8 was released, and I was once again invited to the Microsoft France campus on November 9. On that day, Steve Ballmer was present and delivered a keynote that lasted nearly two hours, which was particularly interesting and motivating for future events.

TechDays 2012

Among the MSPs, I think none of us will forget TechDays so quickly. The atmosphere was great, enhancing the pleasure of attending highly informative 90-minute sessions that allowed everyone to learn more in the areas of their choice.

A close-knit team

The camaraderie was particularly good, with many of us building strong relationships. This enabled us to benefit from a climate of mutual support that was beneficial to all. One recent example is when I beta-tested Matthieu Vienot’s (our youngest MSP in France) new framework for creating video games (currently only 2D) in C# with WinRT. I tested it for a game I am developing and will present at the MSP Summit.

The MSP Summit

When I learned that Microsoft France and Microsoft Corp had selected me to represent France in Redmond, I was extremely surprised, happy, and aware of the responsibility that comes with it. The agenda, quite busy, consists of two major highlights:

• From Tuesday, July 29, to Thursday, July 31, the core of the MSP Summit takes place, with sessions on startup operations, Universal Apps, and, most importantly, discussions among MSPs from around the world to improve the MSP program and give it a sustainable and beneficial direction for all students.
• The Imagine Cup finals, which are taking place in Seattle for the first time and last for two days (including a visit to Seattle and an evening event).

What’s next?

I will most likely write a blog post upon my return, which will be published by mid-August. It will be a debriefing of my week in Seattle, directly addressed to French MSPs and those who are curious.

I will also provide a debriefing at the French MSP Summit, which will take place at the end of September.