Over the past few days, Alex and I have been out in Portland, Oregon for the HighEdWeb Association’s annual conference. The conference, which is focused on technology in higher education, took place from October 19-22, and featured many incredible presentations, riveting keynote speakers, and talented higher education professionals. As sponsors of the conference, we were proud to be able to support an organization that is built upon the use of technology and the web in higher education, and we were excited to be surrounded by so many dedicated professionals.

One of my favorite parts of the conference (which was my first big conference, by the way), was the opportunity to learn about the jobs many of the attendees had within their universities. Hearing first-hand their experiences, struggles, and successes helped put their needs into perspective in a way I had not yet experienced. As a previous student, it was heart-warming to see the dedication of these professionals and to learn how integral each and every one of them is to the success of their college or university.

Thanks to the HighEdWeb Association and its sponsors, we were also able to attend some of the awesome evening gatherings throughout Portland. My favorite event was the social at the World Forestry Center, complete with a live karaoke band, incredible doughnuts from Portland's own Voodoo Doughnut, and various other food and drinks. The karaoke band, Karaoke from Hell, really made the night, as everyone bravely belted out some tunes from their favorite songs. At times it felt like a true, live concert--some of you HighEdWeb members can really sing!

I am truly thankful that HighEdWeb was my first big conference experience, and I am so happy I was able to go and meet many of the wonderfully talented individuals who attended. It was great getting to hear from everyone, and I loved learning more about their work. I know everyone I spoke with had a blast, and we are all looking forward to 2015.

Were you at the HighEdWeb 2014 conference? Let us know what you loved most down below in the comments.

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