Jiahui Jin, 25
Jiahui Jin: The Resilient Hacker and Empathetic Community Champion
Jia Jin is a dynamic hacker, MLH Hackathon Organizer, and mentor from the University of British Columbia, where she is currently pursuing both Bussiness and Computer Science. Her journey is defined by her determination to overcome barriers and foster inclusive tech communities. Her passion for technology, sparked in a high school ITGS class, was particularly ignited by the potential of brain-computer interfaces to transform lives. Growing up with limited access to tech opportunities in Ottawa, Jia proactively reached out to university professors at age 14, gaining early research experience in Python and witnessing firsthand the impact of code on patients with Parkinson's or epilepsy. This drive is rooted in the belief that technology is a powerful tool for connection and change.
Jia’s entry into the hacker community was at nwHacks 2023, the first in-person hackathon post-COVID. Despite extreme weather and her initial team dropping out, she persevered, quickly found a new team, and leveraged her public speaking and coordination skills to lead their pitch. This resilience and enthusiasm have characterized her involvement ever since, attending numerous hackathons, undeterred by storms or school stress. Now she is an engagement coordinator for nwHacks, where she helps create welcoming experiences for over 1,000 hackers. She also mentors and judges at events like the cmd-f underrepresented gender hackathon, where she focuses on building participants' confidence alongside their technical skills.
She was co-chair of UBC's highly selective BUCS (Business + Computer Science) program, where she led hackathons, tech career fairs, and social events for 400+ students. Her proudest achievement as a hacker was winning 1st place at Cal Hacks with "Duet," a brainwave-controlled music composer. Facing funding barriers, Jia took matters into her own hands by securing bursaries from her school and boldly reaching out to the CEO of Emotiv to request access to hardware. Her favorite language is Python, and she loves Cursor. Jia’s memorable hackathon stories include devouring six poke bowls in cmd-f or her chaotic, last-minute scramble for Wi-Fi in downtown San Francisco for her Cal Hacks project. Jia signs up for whatever helps her grow — from hackathons to YC Startup School—she finds ways to show up, learn, and get involved in the tech community. Jia embodies the hacker spirit: resilient, collaborative, and relentlessly curious.
Quick Facts
Jiahui Jin, 25
Jiahui Jin: The Resilient Hacker and Empathetic Community Champion
Jia Jin is a dynamic hacker, MLH Hackathon Organizer, and mentor from the University of British Columbia, where she is currently pursuing both Bussiness and Computer Science. Her journey is defined by her determination to overcome barriers and foster inclusive tech communities. Her passion for technology, sparked in a high school ITGS class, was particularly ignited by the potential of brain-computer interfaces to transform lives. Growing up with limited access to tech opportunities in Ottawa, Jia proactively reached out to university professors at age 14, gaining early research experience in Python and witnessing firsthand the impact of code on patients with Parkinson's or epilepsy. This drive is rooted in the belief that technology is a powerful tool for connection and change.
Jia’s entry into the hacker community was at nwHacks 2023, the first in-person hackathon post-COVID. Despite extreme weather and her initial team dropping out, she persevered, quickly found a new team, and leveraged her public speaking and coordination skills to lead their pitch. This resilience and enthusiasm have characterized her involvement ever since, attending numerous hackathons, undeterred by storms or school stress. Now she is an engagement coordinator for nwHacks, where she helps create welcoming experiences for over 1,000 hackers. She also mentors and judges at events like the cmd-f underrepresented gender hackathon, where she focuses on building participants' confidence alongside their technical skills.
She was co-chair of UBC's highly selective BUCS (Business + Computer Science) program, where she led hackathons, tech career fairs, and social events for 400+ students. Her proudest achievement as a hacker was winning 1st place at Cal Hacks with "Duet," a brainwave-controlled music composer. Facing funding barriers, Jia took matters into her own hands by securing bursaries from her school and boldly reaching out to the CEO of Emotiv to request access to hardware. Her favorite language is Python, and she loves Cursor. Jia’s memorable hackathon stories include devouring six poke bowls in cmd-f or her chaotic, last-minute scramble for Wi-Fi in downtown San Francisco for her Cal Hacks project. Jia signs up for whatever helps her grow — from hackathons to YC Startup School—she finds ways to show up, learn, and get involved in the tech community. Jia embodies the hacker spirit: resilient, collaborative, and relentlessly curious.
