What’s the Zoom Link Again?: What I Learned as the Director of hackNY’s First Remote Fellowship
We had big plans for hackNY summer 2020. Not only does hackNY pair college students and recent grads with internships at NYC startups, but we also create a full community experience by housing our cohort in a dorm together, matching fellows with mentors, and hosting a variety of tech events and social events designed to introduce the fellows to each other and the NYC startup scene. The program is run by a small group of mentors who are alumNY of the program, each hoping to make this summer at least as epic as their own hackNY experience. Some of the social events we had in mind were classics such as a bike tour of Manhattan with one of our co-founders, Chris Wiggins, a food tour in Flushing, and a karaoke night. Some were new, including a Coney Island 4th of July day trip and a field trip to a local fish farm. You’ll notice that these are all very New York-specific events and part of what we thought was essential in making the program a true hackNY experience. But we soon learned that this was not the case. Because… you know what’s coming next.
Less than one month into planning the fellowship, COVID-19 was a raging reality and we had to decide whether or not hackNY would happen this year. Some of our partner companies cancelled their intern positions and some other summer programs called off their plans, claiming that they would not be able to replicate the same experience online. Ultimately, we went ahead with a remote fellowship. I’m so glad we did. Here are 3 unique things that happened this summer because of the remote fellowship.
First of all, the social good portion of the fellowship was extremely popular this year, with a majority of fellows participating in social good teams. Alongside their full time internships, fellows also have the opportunity to volunteer with nonprofit startups in need of technical help. This year, four social good teams, led by fellows who wanted project management experience, dedicated themselves to providing valuable functionality to Flypaper Tutors, HomeNOW, OpenAQ, and Youth Justice Board. Although it was stressful meeting several times a week and working on projects outside of their internships, most fellows also shared that they bonded closely with the other fellows in their social good team and felt like they made a difference.
Secondly, the class of 2020 bonded through smaller group gatherings. Usually, hackNY fellows are known to herd in large groups, roaming the fields of Manhattan in search of adventure. The inability to do this in a remote fellowship was something we worried about when planning. However with a group that is physically distant, and spans across different time zones, the conditions needed to bond are the exact opposite. Zoom fatigue is very real. We came to find that our smallest social events, attended by groups of 5 or less, allowed for the best experiences over video call since individuals are able to interact intimately with each other. One change we made right away was to add small breakout sessions before our Zoom meetings started, allowing attendees to hang out. Fellows also connected over one-on-one donut calls, group hangouts during breaks or after work, and async over shared music playlists. Some called their team members to update them on social good project meetings that they missed due to being in a different time zone. Fellows at different companies worked together by hopping on a shared video call. Toward the end of the fellowship, two mentors tried something new: a group call with each of their assigned mentees. This was a lot of fun and something we would like to do again next year, whether in person or remote.
Fellows grew strong connections with alumNY throughout the summer. One of my favorite parts about this summer was the inclusion of out-of-state and overseas alumNY in our annual reunion, where fellows meet their predecessors for the first time and old friends reunite. Thanks to Mixaba, which creates randomized, 3-minute breakout rooms, the event was intimate and fun and a huge success! Another highlight was seeing fellows join in alumNY events, such as the weekly book club or our kinda-biweekly non-technical talks. By the end of the summer, the fellows were more than ready to join the greater hackNY community.
As you can tell, the class of 2020 fellows were a congenial and adventurous bunch. But this summer would not have been possible without the all-star mentor team running the show. Seven incredible mentors, spanning the classes of 2016–2019, trusted me and dedicated their free time to meet and plan with passion, consideration, and creativity, from January 30th — August 16th. When we decided to go remote, I asked each of them individually if they still wanted to be mentors. Typically, a mentor position is desirable because of the dorm housing and opportunity to get close to the new fellows, but this year none of that was guaranteed. They all said yes, and then proceeded to make this a summer that none of their mentees will ever forget. Some brand new events that will surely become classics:
- Resume Exchange, where fellows anonymously paired with alumNY to receive feedback on their resumes (thanks Alice Phan ‘19!),
- Product Manager Workshop with Dilip Rajan (joint effort by Kellie ’18, Sam ’19, and John ‘19)
- Gender Diversity Dinner to celebrate women and non-binary people in tech (thank you Kellie!)
- Social Good Demo Day, which allowed each social good team to give an update on their progress partway through the fellowship (thanks Sam ‘19!)
- Mentor/Mentee Group Doughnuts, a fun way for fellows to bond with other mentors than their own (thanks Kaitlyn and Sam!)
- Improv Workshop, team-bonding through acting/improv games with Elana Fishbein. I’m jelly I couldn’t join (thank you Diana ‘17!)
This mentor team was exceptional in their unwavering dedication to the success and happiness of the fellows. For example, Cliff “The Shepherd” Lezark ’19 who, specifically reached out to the fellows in different time zones to catch them up on missed events, helped introduce fellows to the rest of the cohort, and generally did his best to make people feel at home. Adi ’17 helped out by advocating for not only his mentees but also the needs of other mentors. Lastly, I thank hackNY’s executive director, Matthew Troy, for listening to my idea for this role and giving me the freedom to see what would happen, and Sam for being the voice of reason and wise beyond his years.
Whether you are an alumNY or future fellow or simply a friend of hackNY, I hope that this article finds you well and inspires your creativity for finding and sustaining community remotely.
