Mainframes are powerful systems that run banks, airlines, and governments. But for many students and beginners, they feel confusing or hard to access. In this session, I will share my story of how I entered the mainframe world as a student with no prior experience.

I’ll talk about how I started learning through IBM Z Xplore, how I won the Catch the Flag competition at the GSE UK Conference, and how I was selected for the Open Mainframe mentorship program (Addressing the COBOL Crisis). I’ll also explain simple ways for students and young professionals to begin their mainframe journey—step by step.

This session is perfect for beginners who want to understand what mainframes are, why they matter, and how to build a career in this space.