R10 Volunteer Focus – Abey Easow Joseph

With the new year, it’s definitely the time for new resolutions and new stories that inspire.

Being probably the largest region in IEEE, the success of the plethora of activities that Region 10 conducts – both in terms of quality and quantity, comes down to the vibrancy of its ground volunteers. Volunteers, who inspire. Who serve as an inspiration not just in their local communities, but as sources of positivity and ambassadors of the true spirit of “Joy of Volunteering”.

In our search for inspiring stories of amazing volunteers, we thought the below person would be apt to get our new feature rolling.

Abey Easow Joseph is the 2019 recipient of IEEE Region 10 Outstanding Young Professional Award (Industry), and for all the right reasons. Having started his IEEE volunteering career as a ground volunteer in his Student Branch, he eventually excelled his way to be the SB Chair. In the years that followed, he has held multiple other responsibilities, including being the Membership Development Chair of IEEE Kerala Section and Treasurer of IEEE Kochi Subsection.

We caught up with Abey to get a gist of the stories that made him the amazing volunteer he his. Here’s the excerpts from his interview.

Q. What is your present role in IEEE?

I currently volunteer as the Membership Development Committee Chair and Awards Committee Convener of IEEE Kerala Section.

Q. For how long have you been an IEEE member and what has made you remain part of the community for so long?

I have been an IEEE member for the last 9 years. I took IEEE membership during the freshman year of my undergraduate degree. IEEE played a pivotal role in shaping my career. IEEE is the sole reason for what I am today.

Q. What role has the Young Professionals (YP) community played in your career/personal growth/IEEE experience?

The influence of Young Professional community was vital in my growth. We have some good senior YPs whom we can always approach anytime we need. Each of them has a different career background of industry, academia or entrepreneurship. They have a lot to share from their experience, which has been very helpful in my early stages of career.

We have YP meet-ups at least once every two months. These meet-ups have been the places where these discussions happen. It helped me to learn a lot about professionalism, career growth, and professional ethics. The entire Kerala YP events are also conducted in this perspective. Attending the YP events and interacting with the Senior YPs has helped me a lot.

Q. If I ask you to define the whole of your IEEE journey in one word, what would it be?

Joy-Of-Volunteering

Q. Winning the IEEE R10 Young Professional (Industry) Award is definitely no small feat. Do you have a mentor or a role model whom you would like to thank, on the record?

Yes, definitely. But it is not just one person, there are a few. The senior YPs of Kerala Section are my mentors. I thank Mr Ranjit R Nair and Mr Vijay S Paul (presently Victorian YP though he was with Kerala YP for 7 years) have been my mentors when I came to Young Professionals. They have supported and guided me throughout. Apart from them, I also want to thank Mr Ajin Baby and Mr Rahul Ramesh for introducing me to IEEE during my student life and my friend Mr Shahul Hameed, who supported me always for the past 9 years.

Q. What is the best advice you would have for other YPs to get active in the community?

I’m not sure whether I could advice. But, I can share my experience. I have been an active volunteer of IEEE since my student life. IEEE have played a vital role in who I’m today. I did things which I thought I could never do after I joined IEEE. When I joined, one thing I heard was, if you give your time to IEEE, you’ll always get 10x benefits. It has been true in my life for the past 9 years.

Being a part of the Young Professional community has made great things happen to me. The experiences I had with the community is one thing that has helped me grow in my career. Also, the spirit of Joy Of Volunteering is something which always gets me moving forward. Getting involved in Young Professionals is the best thing for a professional in the early stages of career. If you put your time into it, you definitely won’t regret it. The experiences you’ll enjoy is something one cannot get from anywhere else. It will definitely help you to achieve your career goals and build everlasting relationships for a lifetime.

Author: Vijay S Paul

Chair, 2023 IEEE R10 Information Management Committee