The author, a data analytics engineer at Wejo, participated in the CoRise dbt scholarship offered by Census as part of the Stand Out Data Show campaign. They won the scholarship and completed a four-week, hands-on course on dbt best practices. Through this experience, they gained knowledge on scalable and clear data models using dbt macros and jinja features, and learned how to apply these concepts in their role. The author recognizes the importance of staying up-to-date with best practices in the modern data stack and plans to continue expanding their knowledge with the dbt community. They also emphasize the value of standardization over innovation in this field.