I Was Wrong About Hackathons
You don’t have to be a certain age or have a lot of coding experience to attend TechTogether hackathons! Take it from Raissa who is not only in her early thirties, but attended her first TechTogether hackathon just to network!
Read below an in-depth article of Raissa’s experience.
Hackathons, much like conferences, have always held a certain mystique for me. In my mind, those surely were events in which enthusiasts and connoisseurs discussed very difficult, abstract topics using so much jargon they might as well be speaking a foreign language. Hackathons certainly weren’t places for newbies such as myself, I’d think, and I’d probably be laughed out of the event when other attendees discovered how little I knew. Older, more experienced, cooler attendees.
Maybe once I had enough certificates or proven experience I’d sign up for one. Otherwise, I wouldn’t dare to think of participating…until TechTogether.
A little about me.
I’m a career changing Latina in her early thirties who has been very interested in technology since childhood. I had lots of fun exploring what I could do with a computer — from schoolwork to games to bright neon html pages full of GIFs and MIDI music, but I never felt I could do it for a living.
I took my love of languages and went into teaching instead. I briefly considered changing majors to Computer Science but that idea was scrapped quickly. That department in the university felt dark and uninviting, and even though I had some friends and acquaintances there, I never saw any other women.
The idea might have been scrapped but something still lingered.
2020 hit and I found myself with more time to think. Before long I’d finally done what I’d been thinking about for over a decade:
I went into tech.
I wanted to kick Past Me for a while, because what I discovered was not a dusty old university building, but a wonderful community. There were mentors, there were other people beginning their journeys, there were questions being answered and help being offered. I felt welcome, and my hardships acknowledged.
One of the wonderful people I came across suggested I signed up for the virtual TechTogether hackathon that was coming up soon. I excused myself saying I was too new and didn’t have enough knowledge to participate in such a thing, but she waved my fears away.
“The project is optional,” she said. “It’s fine if you just attend the workshops, it’s still fun!”
I clicked the link to the registration page, and the description undid my worries. I signed up.
TechTogether just hits different.
I invited a few friends from my bootcamp cohort to attend TechTogether Miami with me, and they were skeptical at first, too.
“I don’t have to hack?” they asked. “I’ve never been to a hackathon. I’m curious, so if I can just look around a bit that’d be great.”
And it was great. TechTogether hackathons have this vibe that sets it apart from others.
The workshops, career fair, activities and hacks that you’d expect from such an event are still present, sure, but they focus on gender inequities in tech and bridging that gap. As such, you can expect your fellow attendee to be from a marginalized gender and for most present to be as new to hackathons as you might be.
There are a few volunteer cisgender male speakers and mentors, they are available for questions and are eager to help. Even the sponsor representatives and company recruiters are welcoming and pleasant! However, it is the overwhelming women representation that made me open up.
The range of topics covered in the various workshops is astonishing, and it is great to meet hosts from different sectors of the industry. These are people of marginalized genders in positions of leadership, recruitment, research, education. Seeing more women in tech makes me less anxious about having changed careers.
Curious about designing in Figma even though you are studying Java? Ever wanted to learn about blockchain now that you see web3 taking over Twitter? Do you want some tips on how to use Git or Github? Would you like to learn about how games are made? You should attend the workshops! There is no such a thing as a stupid question, and your level of proficiency in a topic is not important. There is even a prize for the person who attends the most workshops!
The organizers realize hackathons can be overwhelming, so there are groups to share pet pictures, talk about TV shows, or share favorite songs. If you’re uncomfortable asking questions using your voice, you can also type them on the chat during the presentations. In case you miss a workshop, the recording and slides will be uploaded so you can take a look later.
If you do decide to hack, there will be a couple of themes your team can choose from, such as Retro Miami, Financial Literacy or Culture Appreciation. If you don’t have a team, there’s also a channel and activities for team formation — and if you come in a tad late or don’t find a team, the organizers can help set you up with one.
Even if you’re not participating, the projects made over the weekend are the icing on the cake. That old idea of mine about hackathons being somewhat otherworldly places where only the Next Big Thing has a chance of getting a prize? Not here. At TechTogether, these feel like real projects made by real people of different skill sets and proficiency levels.
You can see an inflation calculator that’ll open your eyes, check out a website dedicated to identifying the constellations above Miami, or navigate a little game that chooses the Miami neighborhood most suited to your tastes. During the closing ceremony, all participants and teams are acknowledged, and all winners are celebrated!
My friends and I walked away from our first TechTogether hackathon a little disappointed that it was over. We wanted to attend more hackathons — we even signed up for the upcoming TechTogether Chicago hackathon the same day the Miami one ended. We want to form a team and make our own project next time, too. We are more excited about learning and about the tech industry. What a change from the people we’d been two days prior!
If there is one thing that it made stick in my mind, it’s the following:
I can be here, and I can do this.
That is what makes TechTogether different.
Interested in attending a hackathon and getting access to more articles like this one? Subscribe to TechTogether’s bi-weekly newsletter. 💡
