Jeffery John uses tech to bring people together. His skills, focus, and positive engagement enhance the hacker community.

Jeffery started programming in early childhood, using Microsoft Small Basic. However, he discovered his true passion for programming in college. He has an interest in public policy and realized he could combine it with his technical expertise, using computer science as a “force multiplier” to “create widespread good for humanity.” 

At the University of Georgia, he discovered the fun and exciting world of hackathons. He learned about UGAHacks 4 in Spring 2019 through a poster in the Science Library and immediately signed up for the hackathon. He was so engaged with the event that he knew he had a future with UGAHacks. He says, “While I had arrived to the event alone, I found myself applying to join together with the organizers afterward. During my interview, I could feel the more I spoke with the new UGAHacks 5 lead director, the more confident I was, and looking back, I know I was right in having found part of my purpose.”  

He joined a welcoming community, rose to a mentorship role, and made UGAHacks his central focus. He says, “By mentoring my team and community members, I felt I was speaking to the younger versions of myself that were unheard. By sharpening their skills, I've received motivation and pride in the opportunities and success my community has found.”

Ultimately, he became the Lead Director of UGAHacks 7, the university’s first physical event since 2019—and UGAHacks’s first hybrid event! It was challenging to get it off the ground, but he persevered. He faced logistical obstacles and policy roadblocks, including scheduling conflicts, COVID-19 concerns, and WiFi outages. He made the event a success by using his leadership skills and collaborating with many student organizations on campus. As he says, “Rallying my organizers, we kept our roster of club events active and were able to gather momentum to break through to our most successful hackathon ever.”

His hacking experience encouraged him to broaden his reach and leadership on campus. He enjoyed the community and wanted to be involved in many ways. He worked in Information Technology at the University Health Center and served as Program Manager of the Small Satellite Research Laboratory. He became the president of the ACM @ UGA student chapter and lead organizer of the Google Developer Group Athens. At ACM and GDG Athens, Jeffery trained students in technical interview preparation, organized community study groups, and provided out-of-the-classroom opportunities to all members.

Jeffery remains focused on supporting his community and creating positive outcomes. His next step is to pursue a Master of Human-Computer Interaction at Carnegie Mellon University.