Hi, I’m Mohana Priya 👋

A Cloud Captain, DevOps Engineer… and once a student who didn’t know where she belonged. There was a time when I sat quietly on the last bench, watching others speak with confidence, wondering if I would ever find my place. I didn’t have a clear dream, a strong voice, or a perfect plan for my future.

What I had was curiosity. And honestly, a lot of self-doubt.

I never imagined that one decision—to join Cloud Clubs, would slowly change the way I saw myself.

Before vs After Cloud Clubs: A Journey I’ll Always Cherrish and Carry

Before: Learning in Silence Before Cloud Clubs, I was not confident. I rarely spoke, never asked questions, and mastered the art of sitting on the last bench without being noticed.

I didn’t know what cloud computing was. All I knew was that I wanted to learn—but I was waiting for the “start here” sign to appear.

Cloud Clubs was where I heard about AWS Cloud Computing for the first time. I remember opening the AWS Console and feeling a strange mix of excitement and fear. Everything looked powerful… and expensive. I was scared to click anything, worried I’d make a mistake that couldn’t be undone.

I made plenty of beginner mistakes, some I laugh about now:

• Creating resources and forgetting to delete them
• Mixing up regions and availability zones
• Attending sessions and still going home to google the basics

But behind those funny moments was something deeper—I was trying. Even when I felt lost, I kept showing up.

The Change I Felt: What changed everything wasn’t just learning cloud services. It was the people.

I joined the AWS Cloud Club at my university simply as a member—quiet, observant, unsure of where I fit. I attended sessions, listened closely, and learned at my own pace. But as I kept showing up, something began to shift.

Watching my former Cloud Captains lead events, guide students, and create opportunities made me feel something I hadn’t felt before—belonging. For the first time, I didn’t feel invisible.

Gradually, I became part of the core team. I started supporting my former Cloud Captain, helping with event coordination, assisting peers with certifications and projects, and being there wherever help was needed. Not because I knew everything, but because I wanted to grow alongside the community.

With every small responsibility I was trusted with, my confidence grew. Helping others helped me believe in myself.

Slowly, without even realizing it, I found my voice.

After: Standing Where I Once Watched When I became a Cloud Captain, it felt surreal. I wasn’t just learning anymore, I was leading.

I still remember my first event as a Cloud Captain, volunteering with the UG WomenInTech team at AWSheTech Day. Standing on stage, delivering the welcome note, my heart was pounding. But in that moment, I realized something powerful—I had become the person I once looked up to.

From that first step to organizing Student Community Day with nearly 500+ participants and 28 speakers across India, Cloud Clubs transformed me, not overnight, but step by step.

What This Journey Gave Me: Cloud Clubs gave me more than technical skills:

• Courage to speak even when my voice shook
• Confidence to take responsibility
• Leadership rooted in empathy
• The belief that I belonged here

The certification support helped me prove my knowledge, secure two internships, and today, I work as a DevOps Engineer, a role I once thought was far beyond my reach.

To the student reading this—

If you often listen more than you speak, If curiosity lives inside you but fear holds you back, If you sometimes feel like everyone else is moving ahead while you’re still figuring things out…

You’re not alone. I’ve stood exactly where you are.

⏳ The Cloud Clubs application deadline is Jan 20 2026. Just a few hours left.

Don’t wait for confidence to come first. Sometimes, growth begins with just showing up.

Take the step. Trust the journey. Your “after” is waiting. Apply for the cloud clubs program now

AWS Cloud Club Captain Application

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