My Experience at Tapia 2025: Networking

By Nathan Perez

My name is Nathan Perez, I am a final year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). After graduation, I'll be joining Fidelity Investments as a software engineer from an opportunity that arose at the 2025 Tapia conference. I've been a member of AccessComputing since 2023, and both AccessComputing and Tapia have played meaningful roles in my personal and professional life.
I first heard about the Tapia conference in 2023 through UTD’s ACM club, when I received an email asking for volunteers for the upcoming tapia conference. Not knowing what to expect I signed up to volunteer.

At my first Tapia conference, I was introduced to various organizations and programs I was previously unaware of such as STARS computing core, CMD-IT, Computing Research Association, and of course AccessComputing. Since then, being involved with AccessComputing has both opened doors to opportunities, and given me a sense of belonging in the computing community.
Professionally, Tapia was invaluable. Being able to talk with people who could help answer my questions about what career paths would fit my interests, tips to improve my resume, and the skills required for my goals, proved extremely helpful. Additionally learning about what researchers were working on helped me hone my interests, giving me insight into REU programs and how explainable AI and Human Computer Interaction would be a good fit for me in the future. Without the advice and help of others at Tapia I know it would have been more difficult to find jobs and explore interests, and I'm grateful for the people that took time out of their day to help me.
With the conference back in Dallas in 2025, and with the support of AccessComputing, I was able to attend again this year. I enjoyed the talks this year, especially those exploring AI's role in education, the biases present in AI systems, and HCI talks focused on accessibility. This year the career fair ended up being the most impactful part of the conference for me, as on the third day of the conference I had an interview that would become my full-time job offer.

I'm incredibly grateful for both AccessComputing and the Tapia Conference. Both have shown me that I belong in computing, and that I am part of a community of people who would help to support me professionally.