Jasmine Wongphatarakul, 20
Jasmine Wongphatarakul: The Community-DrivenCoder Championing Social Good and Inclusivity
Introducing Jasmine Wongphatarakul (Class of ’27), a passionate hacker and MLH Hackathon Organizer from UCLA who is dedicated to using technology for social impact and fostering inclusivity within the tech space. Though initially hesitant about computer science despite coming from a family with a tech background, Jasmine’s perspective completely changed after attending Kode With Klossy. The empowering and collaborative community there revealed how coding could be a tool for social good, sparking her passion for the intentionality, creativity, and problem-solving at the heart of technology. This passion led her to AthenaHacks, her first hackathon where her team built "Athena," a mental health chatbot for marginalized genders in STEM, winning "Best Use of AI in Education."
As the operations chair for MLH’s first LGBTQIA+ hackathon, QWER Hacks, Jasmine played a crucial role in managing logistics—particularly catering and venue coordination, creating an inclusive, welcoming space for attendees. She is deeply committed to creating spaces where diverse backgrounds and perspectives are celebrated, believing this is essential for building technologies free from bias. Jasmine’s goal is to ensure underrepresented groups, especially Southeast Asian women like herself, are heard and empowered in tech. Beyond hackathons, Jasmine contributes to LA Blueprint, developing applications for local nonprofits like WriteGirl and United Way, further fueling her passion for social impact.
React is Jasmine’s favorite framework for its organized component functionality, which builds on her early love for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. She even uses TikTok to stay updated on tech news and pick up coding concepts in fun, bite-sized formats. A self-proclaimed "crafter," Jasmine enjoys DIY projects, like embroidery, and works at her school's makerspace. One of her favorite hackathon memories is the glow-in-the-dark Just Dance session at AthenaHacks, a perfect example of community bonding amidst the fast-paced energy of a hackathon. Having traveled to over 10 countries, Jasmine draws inspiration from her global experiences to fuel her passion for building a better world through code.
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Jasmine Wongphatarakul, 20
Jasmine Wongphatarakul: The Community-DrivenCoder Championing Social Good and Inclusivity
Introducing Jasmine Wongphatarakul (Class of ’27), a passionate hacker and MLH Hackathon Organizer from UCLA who is dedicated to using technology for social impact and fostering inclusivity within the tech space. Though initially hesitant about computer science despite coming from a family with a tech background, Jasmine’s perspective completely changed after attending Kode With Klossy. The empowering and collaborative community there revealed how coding could be a tool for social good, sparking her passion for the intentionality, creativity, and problem-solving at the heart of technology. This passion led her to AthenaHacks, her first hackathon where her team built "Athena," a mental health chatbot for marginalized genders in STEM, winning "Best Use of AI in Education."
As the operations chair for MLH’s first LGBTQIA+ hackathon, QWER Hacks, Jasmine played a crucial role in managing logistics—particularly catering and venue coordination, creating an inclusive, welcoming space for attendees. She is deeply committed to creating spaces where diverse backgrounds and perspectives are celebrated, believing this is essential for building technologies free from bias. Jasmine’s goal is to ensure underrepresented groups, especially Southeast Asian women like herself, are heard and empowered in tech. Beyond hackathons, Jasmine contributes to LA Blueprint, developing applications for local nonprofits like WriteGirl and United Way, further fueling her passion for social impact.
React is Jasmine’s favorite framework for its organized component functionality, which builds on her early love for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. She even uses TikTok to stay updated on tech news and pick up coding concepts in fun, bite-sized formats. A self-proclaimed "crafter," Jasmine enjoys DIY projects, like embroidery, and works at her school's makerspace. One of her favorite hackathon memories is the glow-in-the-dark Just Dance session at AthenaHacks, a perfect example of community bonding amidst the fast-paced energy of a hackathon. Having traveled to over 10 countries, Jasmine draws inspiration from her global experiences to fuel her passion for building a better world through code.
