2019-June-24

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How PRIDE Made Me Proud

BY PAULA GEARON · SOFTWARE ENGINEER · UNITED STATES

I’ve spent half of my software engineering career working remotely, first in my home country of Australia, then in Chicago after relocating to the USA, and finally here in rural Virginia, with the last three and half years at Cisco.

Working remotely has given me the opportunity to be more available for my children, which I am extremely grateful for.

Another effect of remote work is that it gave me an extra level of privacy in the workplace, which made it easier to avoid coming out to my colleagues that my wife and I are in a same-sex marriage.

I would always avoid mentioning my family to my colleagues, though there were occasions where this was difficult. I often felt that the omission was awkward and unpleasant.

During my first year at Cisco, a friend referred me to available employee resource organizations (EROs), and that’s where I found the Cisco PRIDE group. The group provides global networking and individual development opportunities for its members and helps to drive I&C initiatives throughout Cisco.

My membership was nominal to start with, but in the past couple of years Cisco PRIDE has been expanding its activities and has become more inclusive to remote members.

In 2018, I was given the opportunity to participate in an online program about being supportive of our LGBTQ colleagues and being open about ourselves at work. Meeting people online encouraged me to make the trek down to RTP in North Carolina, knowing that there would be other members I could meet and interact with. I even attended a Christmas lunch in Herndon, Virginia.

This was piecemeal, meeting one person at a time, but it all contributed to me gradually gaining an understanding of our organization. It also gave me the confidence to finally come out to all of my team on National Coming out Day, on October 11 last year.

In early February this year, I met many more members of the Cisco PRIDE ERO when I was invited to represent Cisco at the Lesbians Who Tech (LWT) Summit in San Francisco.

I was a bit apprehensive, as it started just a couple of days after I was due to speak at a technical conference in Berlin about my team’s work, but my experiences with Cisco PRIDE told me that this was opportunity not to be missed.

On my flight home from Berlin, I developed a migraine, which led to me being sick and culminated in the airline calling for EMTs to help me off the plane. I recovered quickly once I was home, but the prospect of an immediate cross-country flight to San Francisco was daunting, and my manager assured me that he understood if I could not make it. I packed fresh clothes, and two days later I was in the air again, flying across the country.

The day before the LWT conference, I got the chance to visit the famous Castro district while collecting my conference badge, and during the setup of our booth, I met more of my Cisco colleagues. I was already making new Cisco friends and learning more about AppDynamics and Meraki than I’d been able to until that point.

During the conference, I alternated between manning our booth and attending the sessions. There were some really inspiring keynotes and sessions, one of my favorites being on neurocognitive function and how this affects relationships in the workplace. I was proud to see that one of the most inspiring sessions was given by Cisco’s Joanna Dillon on “How Blockchain Will Transform Supply Chain,” showcasing her group’s work on supply chain sustainability and responsible mineral sourcing.

The energy at the event was amazing. Yet, for me, the real excitement came from meeting my colleagues, especially those who share similar experiences as members of PRIDE. We shared stories, company, and food. For the first time I got to experience the enthusiasm and pride that employees at Cisco have for what we do. I was especially humbled to learn that the PRIDE ERO at Cisco makes up a community of colleagues who care about and look out for each other in a way I haven't experienced before.

I am proud to be part of the team that built Cisco Threat Response, and the Cisco PRIDE ERO has taught me what it is to be a part of Cisco.

For the first time, I have learnt about our products and operations. But more importantly, I have learnt that despite the size of our company, Cisco provides a home to employee communities where people really care about one another, where looking after our colleagues is seen as the way to building a stronger Cisco.

Related Links

• PRIDE employee resource organization
• Inclusion & Collaboration Communities
• Joanna Dillon’s speaker page at LWT
• Careers at Cisco
• Share your story

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