I am a Mainframer with Junior Tadiffo

Join host Steven Dickens in this inspiring episode of I Am a Mainframer featuring Junior Tadiffo, a third-year Computer Science student at University at Buffalo, IBM Z Student Ambassador, and President of the UB IBM Z Club. Junior shares his journey discovering the mainframe through a friend's recommendation, earning IBM Z badges on z/OS Explore, and igniting his passion for this powerful platform.​From his first "mind-blowing" experience accessing z/OS to running the university's IBM Z Club, Junior discusses the perception challenges on college campuses, the importance of hands-on access like z/OS Explore, and how open source Linux on mainframe makes it more accessible to students. He also shares advice for the mainframe community on supporting early-career talent and his vision for more public resources, YouTube tutorials, and greater mainframe integration in modern computing over the next 10 years.​Celebrating Black History Month: This episode highlights Junior Tadiffo's journey as a Black student leader breaking barriers in mainframe technology during Black History Month. Junior represents the next generation of diverse talent bringing fresh perspectives and energy to the mainframe ecosystem, proving that innovation knows no bounds.🔹 Learn how Junior overcame initial reservations about "old" technologies like COBOL, JCL, and REXX.🔹 Discover why seeing actual z17 hardware was his highlight of the year.🔹 Subscribe for more stories from students, professionals, and leaders in the mainframe world.#IAmAMainframer #Mainframe #BlackHistoryMonth #IBMZ #OpenMainframeProject #StudentAmbassador #zOS #MainframeCommunity