Talladega College students Izuchukwu Mba, Takudzwa Vuma, and Thabhelo Duve have added to their real-world tech experience by participating in HackHarvard hosted by Harvard University and American Airlines.
HackHarvard occurred October 20-22, 2023, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the BeSmart Hackathon, presented by Black Enterprise and hosted by twenty-five HBCUs, took place November 2-5, 2023, at the American Airlines headquarters in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.
Hackathons are annual collegiate-level coding competitions that gather students from all over the world to participate in creating and collaborating on innovative projects. With only hours to create an innovative solution to a problem and pitch a final presentation, the inaugural events offer training workshops for beginner coders, networking opportunities with current industry professionals, prizes, and lots of swag for students to take home.
Hacking team advisor Anthony Morris, who serves as assistant professor in the Computer Science Department, suggested the students attend hackathons for hands-on experience and to help increase Talladega College’s name recognition in the technology field, while preparing students for jobs in the tech industry. “Students help expand the name of Talladega College greatly just by being in the competitions. Hackathons like BeSmart have great internship and job opportunities because they have sessions that offer mock interviews. This not only helps the student prepare for future interviews, but it gives them exposure for future internships and jobs,” said Morris.
During HackHarvard, Mba and Vuma collaborated with three students from other institutions to build an end-to-end application called Pure Breathe. The inventive software utilizes carbon emission and health data from the users’ Whoop fitness trackers to assess environmental health risks as a result of exposure to a given environment. During the BeSmart competition, the students built another end-to-end web application called Unaccompanied Minor Assistance, that helps ensure the safety of minors flying alone while providing parents with comforting updates throughout their child’s flight.
Mba feels that each hackathon pushes his technical skills further and will be a great asset in his future. “Participating in both HackHarvard and the BeSmart hackathon was an amazing experience that pushed the boundaries of my coding abilities and helped improve my problem-solving skills,” said Mba. “These hackathons challenged my technical skills, forcing me to improve upon each aspect by cultivating a truly innovative mindset. I believe that these lessons will significantly enhance my performance in upcoming hackathons and will set a solid foundation for my future career in the tech industry.”
Talladega students interested in becoming a hacking team member and learning more about the hackathon events can email Tanaira Rounds, director of Intercollegiate Academic Programs and Recruiting, at trounds@talladega.edu for more information.
