Technology often gets pegged as an "isolator" -accused of taking people away from the world around them. However, what many miss is that technology is also a connector -connecting us deeply to people, places, and ideas around the world.

At Cisco, we find community builders on every step of our journey with technology.

I work as a technical writer on Webex Teams, and our team -like many at Cisco -is spread out around the world. Our technology makes this possible, and it even allows for me to telecommute full time from my home in Oregon. The flexibility and work/life balance that Cisco's culture cultivates not only lets me work full time, but have a family, and still pursue my passions in life.

What I enjoy most is being a part of activities where there is a strong sense of community -the same feeling of community that I get here at Cisco.

I was first drawn to Cisco over 20 years ago because of the excitement of being at the forefront of the computer networking field. I've stayed with Cisco because of the culture. Everywhere you look, you find examples of people putting their energy toward building connections. Not only are we giving back to our communities, we're cultivating those communities too.

Here are just a few of the communities that have impacted me along the way:  

1. The Hula Community -Yes, this is a personal community I care deeply about -but it's one of my greatest passions and at Cisco we're encouraged to be our authentic selves! Hula is my favorite form of keeping my body active nowadays. A h