How Sun Devils make money hacking, legally
There are a lot of connotations that come with hacking. Whether it's the high-profile movie hackers breaking into government databases, sketchy text messages popping up on your phone with dangerous links, or your younger sibling yelling “I’ve hacked the mainframe” after figuring out the Apple TV controls, hackers can get a negative rep.
But imagine if you could hack for good?
No, you don’t need a completed degree or a big-wig job. In fact, you don’t even need to buy your own food while you're doing it.
Opportunity Hack 2024, or OHack, is an Arizona State University sponsored hackathon where students can get amazing hands-on experience creating code for high-profile nonprofits all while competing for a cash prize.
Taking place Oct. 12 to Oct. 13, OHack is a two-day event where nonprofit groups pitch problems that they are facing to participating students. Students will then have the two days to team up and create innovative coding solutions for these problems.
Loveneet Singh, a junior studying computer science at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and a winner of OHack 2023, spoke on the issue he took on for this challenge.
“Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley had computer files and documents dating back to the 1980s, and they needed to be reorganized in a sustainable and searchable way,” Singh explained. “Our team came up with an AI-powered search engine solution to search and organize different file types such as audio, images, and text.”
On its surface a seemingly straightforward problem, however, when given two days to find a solution, it becomes an intense challenge and a memorable experience for students to grow from.
“The environment in the hackathon was exciting and supportive,” Singh stated. “We had access to mentors, and everyone competing was thrilled to be present. Our team even interacted with other teams and met some great people who also loved to make stuff.”
Darshan Sheth, a graduate student pursuing their master’s in computer science and runner-up at OHack 2023, also spoke to this environment.
“My team and I worked on helping Dr. Mary, who runs a nonprofit,” Sheth explained. “Her vision was to create a project where kids could submit sketches that would be made into a coloring book. Since children’s drawings aren’t always perfect for a professional product, we used generative AI to touch up the sketches and smooth them out.”
With the sponsors being nonprofit organizations, it provides a unique opportunity for students to make meaningful community impact with their work. This year’s nonprofit partners include: Pajarito Environmental Education Center, Heritage Square Foundation, Neurologic Music Therapy Services of Arizona, Wood County Child Protection Board Inc., STEAM Superheroes, Nature's Edge Wildlife and Reptile Rescue, Liminal Works, Out There Social Club at ASU and the San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity.
“Hackathons focus a lot more on the big picture compared to school or personal coding projects,” Sheth remarked. “While technical skills are important, the emphasis is on how impactful the project could be in the real world, given more time and resources.”
Working for professional companies to create large-scale projects may seem like a daunting and intimidating task, however OHack has maintained a reputation for being accessible and supportive for students looking to engage.
“I think that in a hackathon you have creative freedom where you are not confined with almost anything and can work towards a goal as you want,” Singh explained. “In some cases, we are building towards a solution to a problem and sometimes we are just building the solution because we think something like that would be cool.”
“It was my first hackathon, so it was definitely a bit stressful at first,” Sheth said. “However, the mentors really helped us narrow the scope of our project so that we could finish within the given timeframe. Despite the competitive atmosphere, the event was also supportive. I made a lot of new friends, and everyone was willing to help each other out.”
Support doesn’t just stop at friendly mentors and competitors. OHack is an event spanning more than 30 hours straight, meaning support will also be coming in free meals throughout the event, an ice cream break and a midnight pizza party.
“They provided everything we needed—food, energy drinks, and resources—so we could focus on delivering a successful project,” Sheth said. “Their support and enthusiasm really helped keep the energy high throughout the hackathon, which was motivating.”
Besides the amazing ASU and OHack staff there to guide students through the intensive process, there are also a few high-profile supporters such as Meta and Spotify backing this event. With large scale sponsors like these, OHack is able to provide a broad environment to support students and a pretty enticing reward.
“It was an awesome experience to win (the 2023) hackathon as we had the opportunity to work on a real project that could impact real people,” Singh said. “I didn't even believe what I heard; my friend Noel had to shake me as we were the ones they were announcing as first prize winners.”
“We got a small scholarship amount and an opportunity to win the full amount with other benefits, such as the opportunity to get recommendations and have our resumes reviewed by judges if we complete the project for the non-profits,” Singh continued.
And even for those not walking away with the first place prize, there is still a lot to be gained from the experience.
“Winning 2nd place was a huge motivator for me,” Sheth explained. “It pushed me to participate in more hackathons, and since then, I’ve competed in and won seven additional hackathons. The experience built my confidence and opened up a lot of opportunities in terms of networking and skill-building.”
When asked their advice for students considering OHack, they were both pretty clear.
“I believe that participating in a hackathon was one of the most life-changing decisions I made,” Singh said. “I met my friends there as we lived through our first hackathon at ASU… the memories we made are the most valuable time spent.”
“Go for it,” Sheth said. “If it’s your first time, it might seem intimidating, but it’s an incredible learning experience. Think big, but also make sure your idea is feasible in the real world.”
To learn more and get registered visit the OHack website!