No one should be defined by the worst thing they've ever done. If someone who made a terrible mistake and paid their debt to society is able to acquire the skills to get the job based on merit despite the circumstances, they probably have an incredible work ethic and a strong desire to continue growing.
As others as alluded to, long term success requires more than deep technical excellence. Winter break could be a great time to learn about another field, get experience talking to others (volunteering maybe), broaden your horizon of thought with books you may not normally read, or, if your passion truly is technology, work on a higher risk project that will likely fail but you could learn a lot from.
I agree. I support the principle behind this legislation, but it seems to set a dangerous precedent for giving the state government the authority to mandate demographics.