2020 Virtual Program
Amidst the COVID-19 crisis, Destined for X hosted a virtual program to provide students with valuable life skills as well as the opportunity to network with professionals from various job functions and industries all around Silicon Valley.
Skills Workshops
Join online workshops every week and learn how to effectively network, set goals, and figure out next steps for creating a fulfilling future for yourself.
Panelist Discussions
Every other week, join us on calls where we will be bringing in guest panelists from top companies around Silicon Valley. Learn about different roles, industries, and stories about how they got there.
Access to the D4X Network
Join a community of over 500+ students, mentors, volunteers, and supporters of Destined for X. Get access to our Slack channel to continue your relationships and network with professionals.
Join the Mentorship Program
At the end of the virtual program, you'll have the opportunity to join an extended mentorship program to get 1-on-1 time with a successful professional in a field or industry that interests you.
Overview of 2020 Virtual Sessions
* Weekly Sessions on Thursdays from 6-7pm PST
May 28 - The Fastest Path to Your Goals or Career Ambitions
- How to network and create lasting relationships
- Utilizing LinkedIn to your professional advantage
- Conducting informational interviews to figure out if a career is right for you
June 4 - Panel: Learn from Employees at a Top Silicon Valley Tech Company
- Learn about what it's really like working at a top Silicon Valley company
- What are the different roles at tech companies (from engineering, HR, product management, marketing, and more)
- Learn how these professionals got to where they are today
June 11 - Becoming More Confidently Self-Aware of Your Strengths and Motivations
- Determining what's really important to you through your Core Values
- Exploring your WHY. What it is and why it's an important guide in your life
- Identifying your personal strengths and becoming more confident in your communication with others
June 18 - Panel: Meet with Recruiters and Industry Professionals to Help with Resumes and Job/Internship searching
- When should you start thinking about jobs and internships?
- What can you start doing now as a high school student to set yourself up for job success?
- What are the top tips and tricks while interviewing for a new job?
June 25 - Taking Bold Action to Achieve Your Personal Goals
- The power of setting effective goals
- Gain your time back with proper time-management skills & lessening distractions
- What it means to have a mentor and how to find one
July 2 - Panel: Meet with College Admissions Professionals to Answer All Your Questions
- What does it take to get into the college of your dreams?
- How can you attend college for a fraction of the cost?
- What scholarships are available to you?
- How we can support you for the rest of your journey.
2020 Confirmed Speakers
Priya Ganesan
"Priya Ganesan is a software engineer at Facebook on the Content Integrity team, where she works to proactively detect and take down objectionable content on Facebook. Before joining Facebook, she graduated from Stanford University with a degree in computer science. She interned at Facebook the summer before her senior year of college, and enjoyed her internship so much that she decided to come back – not only back to Facebook, but also back to the same team!"
Andres Marquez
"Andres joined Facebook in April 2019 as a Camera Software Engineer with Portal. He was with Intel for almost four years on their Imaging and Camera Technology Group before joining the company. Andres has 10+ years of experience in the computing industry, having previously worked at Edge Access, Qorvo, and Qualcomm. His experience includes FPGA design, embedded Linux, and software development for DSP applications. He is originally from Colombia, where he grew up and completed his BSEE before coming to the US to study his MSEE in Florida. His main interests include camera, computer vision, and artificial intelligence. For fun, Andres enjoys reading, going to the gym, playing sports, and traveling to Colombia."
Christian Coly
"Christian joined Facebook two years ago, as an Account Manager in Facebook’s Retail Sales team. Before joining Facebook, Christian worked for Parrot, a global company headquartered in Paris (France) specialized in building consumer and commercial drones. At Parrot, Christian had the opportunity to learn about the consumer electronics business in Europe and North America (specifically Business development, Sales, Product Management and Trainer). Christian was born in Dakar, Senegal (West Africa) and tries to go back home every 2 years."
Michelle Tanaka
"Michelle is a Product TPM (Technical Program Manager) in the AR/VR organization, managing end to end program execution. She managed the successful delivery and launch of the Rift S and continues to work on new exciting AR/ VR programs. Prior to Facebook, she worked and shipped products at consumer electronics companies like Nest/ Google and Amazon/Lab126. She has been involved with diversity programs, especially for Women in tech at Facebook and at her previous companies. Outside of work, she run (jogs if you go by definition), plays golf (hacker status) and enjoys trying new restaurants with friends."
Alice Liu
"Alice is currently working at Blend (fintech focused on lending) as a team lead for Product Analytics. Growing up, she didn't have a set idea of what she wanted to study or what career path she wanted to take. That has manifested into a career with different roles ranging from Design to Customer Success to Marketing and Product Management. To navigate those switches, she took advantage of opportunities that came her way and also worked to acquire necessary skills to fill in the gaps. She has also been a voice for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, leading events and company initiatives to support women's needs and careers in the workplace. In her free time, she writes poetry and volunteers with Full Circle Fund."
Sabeeha Islam
"Sabeeha Islam is a Sustainability Consultant for Engie Impact, the strategic advisory arm of Engie. She also co-authors her own newsletter, The Emergence Initiative, which curates best-in-class content at the intersection of industrial development, social inclusion, and decarbonization solutions."
Maddy Rueda
"Maddy is currently a Staffing Services Associate at Google. Formerly a student athlete for Southern Methodist University's Division I Rowing Team, she graduated in 2018 with degrees in Marketing and Sport Management. She is passionate about career development, non-profit engagement, diversity and inclusion. Originally from New England, she is a Boston Bruins fan and an avid skier."
Ashley Buckner
"Ashley Buckner is the Admission Operations Manager at the Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admission. Prior to this role, Ashley served as an admission officer for five years and helped manage the Stanford alumni admission volunteer program. Ashley graduated from Stanford in 2012 with a major in Public Policy and a minor in Psychology."
Our 2020 Virtual Program has concluded
We will be planning the 2021 program this coming year. Stay tuned!
