Nathan was first exposed to hackathons at GrizzHacks 3. An eye-opening experience, Nathan saw the practical applications of code and skills that he had learned in the classroom. He loved the environment because instead of learning in a classroom, he could make whatever he wanted. Programming had become applicable to real-world issues, rather than unrealistic practice assignments. The day GrizzHacks ended, Nathan found himself already looking for the next event he could attend and he’s been hacking ever since.
Hackathons have helped Nathan in many ways. They have helped him identify and break down complex problems under time pressure, which has, in turn, made him a better developer. He has gotten better at identifying irregularities and weird quirks in code. Hackathons have truly brightened Nathan’s high school experience and inspired him to help others find the amazing community he stumbled upon.
Nathan organized and ran a Local Hack Day at his local library. He wanted to share the positive experiences that he’s had at hackathons with other local students. At his Local Hack Day, 25 middle and high school students got to experience the exhilaration that comes from a hackathon and making a successful product in only a few hours. When they were demoing at the end of the day, he was amazed to see all of the new things that people tried. From developing their first app, making an Alexa skill, or trying a new framework, the hackers were given an opportunity to learn at their own pace in a safe and supportive environment. When he asked at the end who wanted to go to more hackathons, almost everyone raised their hand.
His favorite hackathon project is called AirWaze, and it’s designed to help you find your way in any airport. Modern airports are practically cities. Their team thought, “why can’t you navigate them like one?” They wanted their solution to be easy to use, and it needed to work on all devices, so they created a responsive web app to give the user directions throughout airports. The end result was a truly responsive app that could display directions within an airport, pulling the user’s location from scanning QR codes posted around the airport.
In addition to hackathons, Nathan is the co-founder of Cyber Starters, the co-founder of his high school math club, the founder of Kids Care as well as a chapter president for the National Technical Honor Society.
Quick Facts
Nathan was first exposed to hackathons at GrizzHacks 3. An eye-opening experience, Nathan saw the practical applications of code and skills that he had learned in the classroom. He loved the environment because instead of learning in a classroom, he could make whatever he wanted. Programming had become applicable to real-world issues, rather than unrealistic practice assignments. The day GrizzHacks ended, Nathan found himself already looking for the next event he could attend and he’s been hacking ever since.
Hackathons have helped Nathan in many ways. They have helped him identify and break down complex problems under time pressure, which has, in turn, made him a better developer. He has gotten better at identifying irregularities and weird quirks in code. Hackathons have truly brightened Nathan’s high school experience and inspired him to help others find the amazing community he stumbled upon.
Nathan organized and ran a Local Hack Day at his local library. He wanted to share the positive experiences that he’s had at hackathons with other local students. At his Local Hack Day, 25 middle and high school students got to experience the exhilaration that comes from a hackathon and making a successful product in only a few hours. When they were demoing at the end of the day, he was amazed to see all of the new things that people tried. From developing their first app, making an Alexa skill, or trying a new framework, the hackers were given an opportunity to learn at their own pace in a safe and supportive environment. When he asked at the end who wanted to go to more hackathons, almost everyone raised their hand.
His favorite hackathon project is called AirWaze, and it’s designed to help you find your way in any airport. Modern airports are practically cities. Their team thought, “why can’t you navigate them like one?” They wanted their solution to be easy to use, and it needed to work on all devices, so they created a responsive web app to give the user directions throughout airports. The end result was a truly responsive app that could display directions within an airport, pulling the user’s location from scanning QR codes posted around the airport.
In addition to hackathons, Nathan is the co-founder of Cyber Starters, the co-founder of his high school math club, the founder of Kids Care as well as a chapter president for the National Technical Honor Society.
Quick Facts
