Serving the community

In March 2025, I opened an email.
"Welcome to the Java Champions Program"

Someone must have misspelled an email address and added me by accident. Why did my heart beat faster when I saw it?

“Hello, Christian. :) We’re pleased to inform you that your Java Champion nomination has been accepted.”

It came with a list of names who supported me.
I read the names twice. These are people I’ve learned from, worked with, and admired for years. Seeing them there felt surreal—something between a quiet community thank-you and a hammer falling on me.

The Java Champions program was created by Sun Microsystems in 2005 to recognize individuals who help the Java ecosystem grow. It awarded educators, maintainers, authors, and mentors. It isn't about prestige or individual achievements, but about continuity: passing knowledge forward so the next generation doesn't have to start from zero.

I’ve spent almost three decades writing code, teaching, and maintaining open source projects. Still, I never expected recognition like this—and never expected how mixed it would feel. Gratitude, yes; proof that some people consider this work valuable. But also duty: how can one stop now?

A title doesn’t make you better. It has no tangible benefit. It's a reminder:

Stay worthy of the trust.
Keep on giving back.
Keep on listening.

I try to live without ego and never expect any gratitude for my work.
Today, I’m simply thankful for everyone in the group of Java Champions and for those online who reminded me that the work matters.

Thank you.

→ Java Champions Program Overview

Tags: signal, java, open source, leadership, community