Costa Rica 2023: A Glimpse into Success at Drupal Camp
Drupal Camp Costa Rica 2023 celebrated its success on November 25th, captivating over 120 attendees from various corners of the country. The event, held in San José, brought together students and professionals from the web industry, fostering a spirit of collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
The majority of attendees were students pursuing majors in systems engineering, computer science, and web design/development from five different universities, including the National University, the University of Costa Rica, and CETAV. Impressively, participants travelled from distant locations such as Guanacaste, Guápiles, Limón, and San José, showcasing the widespread enthusiasm for Drupal.
Ben Peter Mathew, The Drop Times Community Manager, had the opportunity to connect with Oscar Loria, Founder & CEO at Decimo Technologies, who delivered an inspiring talk titled "Being Invincible and Eternal." He reflected on the evolution of Drupal, highlighting Drupal 10 as the best version to date and encouraging participation in the community.
"Last Saturday, I was responsible for delivering the Keynote at DrupalCamp Costa Rica 2023. This was the most memorable moment for me, as being the opening speaker at a DrupalCamp and inspiring everyone present is something I had wished for since I started using Drupal several years ago.
The central theme of the Keynote was to inspire all attendees to never give up despite the difficult moments in life, in addition to encouraging the pursuit of personal and professional goals that can change the world. I spoke about the beginnings of Dries and Drop.org and how Drupal 10 has evolved to be the best version of Drupal ever. I emphasized that this is the best time to be part of the community.
He added,
I feel deeply moved when I see people who have had to travel from far away to attend a community event, and this year was no exception. Seeing many young individuals with experience in Drupal and a strong desire to learn more brought me great joy.
As a member of the Drupal community, I reaffirm my commitment to continue supporting the organization of events that allow us to grow as individuals and professionals."
We also engaged with Kenny Abarca, CEO at weKnow Inc., one of the event's organizers. Abarca highlighted the longstanding success of Drupal Camps in Costa Rica, attracting international leaders, professionals, and students interested in exploring Drupal's capabilities.
"Costa Rica has been a popular destination for DrupalCamp events since 2011. Right from the beginning, we envisioned the event as a platform that could bring together Drupal leaders (both domestic and international), with local professionals and students who wanted to learn more about Drupal’s capabilities.
Over the years we have had attendees from all over Latin America, the U.S., and beyond. Major players from top agencies, and even the leadership from the Drupal Association, have come to Costa Rica to support the local Drupal community.
This year, as we start to gather traction post-pandemic, our main motivation was to bring as many students as possible (especially from rural locations), to present them with a valuable opportunity to participate in an event that featured industry leaders delivering insightful sessions and valuable workshops."
He shared the informative lineup from the event. The event featured 12 sessions, 2 workshops, and diverse activities, providing a platform for the Drupal community to exchange insights.
The event started with the keynote session by Oscar Loría. Dharizza Espinach, from Evolving Web, led a popular Drupal site-building workshop, while Alejandro Madrigal, CEO of TanRen Tech hosted an additional introductory workshop due to high demand.
For advanced developers, Ronald Aguilar, a senior front end developer from Chapter Three, conducted a workshop on leveraging Drupal with Next.js to build decoupled solutions, aligning with the growing interest in this approach within the Drupal ecosystem.
Another session by Chris Persad about "Drupal in Niche Application". Chris shared insights into his experiences, illustrating how Drupal can be effectively employed to create niche applications.
The event also featured a balance between technical and non-tech sessions, including a presentation by Linda Yalethza Hurtado, a 14-year-old from the She Is organization. She shared insights into the organization's purpose, focusing on empowering young women in Latin America to pursue STEM careers.
Yuvania Castillo presented "I'm a Developer, and I'm Assertive!"—a session providing valuable tips for project improvement and emphasizing the importance of developing soft skills alongside technical expertise.
Acknowledging the vital support of sponsors like weKnow and Four Kitchens, as well as the contribution from the Universidad de Costa Rica, who provided the venue and transportation for students, Abarca expressed gratitude for making the event possible.
In essence, Drupal Camp Costa Rica 2023 emerged as a hub of collaboration, learning, and inspiration, reaffirming the strength and vibrancy of the Drupal community in the region.
The Drop Times extend heartfelt thanks to Oscar Loria and Kenny Abarca for generously sharing their valuable insights. A special thanks to Luisanny Carrasco, whose contribution of material and content significantly enriched this article.
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