As a member of MLH’s Top 50 Class of 2022 and former eHacks organizer, I was invited to attend MLH HackCon 2022.
What is Hackcon?
“MLH Hackcon X is an in-person conference and retreat that takes outside New York City and takes place at a summer camp organizers skills to build their communities and hackathons.
Hackcon is the only conference where hackathon organizers and hacker community leaders can come together, learn from each other, and build relationships. This is a unique opportunity to meet community leaders in person after the past two years of virtual collaboration.”
Hackcon Opening
Global Community Gathering
This year, (I believe it was around 400) students who organize hackathons and lead tech initiatives in their community from across the world gathered to develop their leadership skills in bettering their community organizing, whether it be for hackathons, community events and more. (I met a few individuals from Slovakia and India in addition to Canada and the USA)
Learning Experience
We learned skills in making hackathons and events more inclusive, and diverse, how to iterate and improve, pitch to sponsors, build better teams and host more effective meetings, amongst other topics. Of course, I also met a lot of inspiring and amazing peers (younger and older than me, both offering a different perspective) who I now look up to, and who have given me a lot of insight into the experience of being a software engineer intern, and working in other areas of tech.
MLH Top 50 2022 @ Hackcon
Personal Reflection
I love participating in conferences and community gatherings like this, because everyone comes from unique backgrounds and walking around new york city and exploring new areas is super interesting me. 2 weeks ago at the impact labs summit at columbia university was my first time travelling alone in a different country and it was an eye opening experience. Again, at that summit I was able to learn a lot and meet really cool people.
Key Takeaways
- Although often as competitive as some as can be, it can be argued that the goal of hackathons and other events like these is not just to win, but to learn, be surrounded by a supportive community, and have fun
- When making inclusive events, it is important to consider what else students can get out of it beyond hacking
- Pre-event resources can make more inclusive events
- Guidebooks / youtube q&a prior to large events can help
- If you do nothing, nothing changes
- When getting Feedback, take it constructively
- Emotional support is important at hackathons
- Celebrate completion, not just winning
- Quality (Retaining and developing participants) is just as important as quantity
- Time + preplanning are important
Memorable Experiences
Meeting MLH Leaders
Ability to meet with MLH coaches, and icons from the tech community. I had read their bios from the mlh top 50 description and I was blown away by the commitment, contribution, and ambition of all the people there. These individuals inspire me to think bigger, work harder, and not give up when things get hard.
Creating Inclusive Spaces
Support systems, positive affirmations and clear action items for making more inclusive spaces. As a women in tech, its hard to find that representation in school. I was at cabin “Mouse2” and my cabin mates were really kind, and it was great to hear about their experiences in tech, and hearing about their experiences from their respective universities and tech communities.
Connecting with Youth Organizers
With the pandemic, it has been hard to participate in in person events, and the ability to connect with other peers has been quite limited. This experience enabled me and others to chat with each other, and help each other out. Whether it be about school, careers, or hackathon organizing, this event gave space for youth to be genuine and have a safe space to get support and form connections.
Looking Forward
With the rise of social media, there are many youth who are leveraging it for positive change. I was able to meet with a few. It was also mindblowing to think about how just 2 weeks ago I was watching their video on a particular tech concept and next thing I was talking to them in person. As someone who also loves sharing my experience and helping others, I hope to also develop those channels to bring more clarity.