Nathan Kurelo Wilk, 24
Nathan Kurelo Wilk: From Magic Tricks to Machine Learning
Nathan Kurelo Wilk has never been one to take the easy path. His journey into tech started with a screwdriver and an insatiable curiosity. “At around 6 or 7 years old, my parents would catch me disassembling remotes and toys to figure out what was inside,” Nathan recalls. “It was troublesome to them because I didn’t know how to put it back together… but that curiosity set me on this path.”
Born in Brazil and raised with a sense of wonder, Nathan’s first mentor was Mr. Adler, the school IT teacher who introduced him to RPG Maker. “He appointed me as a lab monitor and taught me to code while we built a game together. That’s when I fell in love with creating things from scratch.”
Fast forward to his freshman year at the University of Central Florida, where Nathan’s world cracked open at his very first hackathon, SwampHacks VI. It was chaotic in the best way. “We sprinted across campus carrying sleeping bags, backpacks, and leftover burgers just to make check-in,” he laughs. “Later, friends brought us towels and shampoo so we could shower before judging. Maybe we weren’t fully ready—but we were all in.”
That weekend, Nathan’s team built Solace, a disaster-relief SMS app that won “Best First-Time Hacker.” But more than the award, it was the community that hooked him. With support from groups like KnightHacks and SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), Nathan dove into over 30 hackathons, wearing hats as a participant, mentor, and eventually a leader.
“I realized I didn’t just want to code. I wanted to create, collaborate, and help others break into tech too,” he says. Through KnightHacks, he ran workshops on web development and Google technologies, mentored new hackers, and helped beginners overcome that initial wall of self-doubt. “It’s normal to feel intimidated at your first event. I’ve been there. But with community and persistence, you can overcome anything.”
Nathan also turned hackathon ideas into real-world ventures through UCF’s UpStarts incubator. His work caught the attention of faculty and administrators, earning him invitations to speak at conferences and even meet corporate partners in New York. He later joined the MLH Fellowship with Meta, where he dove into AI projects and leveled up both technically and professionally. Now, Nathan is working as a Software Engineer at Microsoft, putting his AI expertise to the test as he tackles challenging projects and continues to innovate in the field.
When he’s not mentoring or hacking, Nathan enjoys playing pickleball, collaborating with teams on Miro, and pulling out the occasional magic trick. Yes, really. “During my first year, I performed card tricks at a talent show at the Google Office in Massachusetts. People still laugh about it.”
Nathan now sees his mission clearly: make tech more approachable and inclusive. “Hackathons showed me the power of building things together. Now I want to help others experience that same spark, and show them that they belong in this space too.”
And if he shows up to a hackathon with a deck of cards and a smile? You’re in for a good time and a great build.
Quick Facts
Nathan Kurelo Wilk, 24
Nathan Kurelo Wilk: From Magic Tricks to Machine Learning
Nathan Kurelo Wilk has never been one to take the easy path. His journey into tech started with a screwdriver and an insatiable curiosity. “At around 6 or 7 years old, my parents would catch me disassembling remotes and toys to figure out what was inside,” Nathan recalls. “It was troublesome to them because I didn’t know how to put it back together… but that curiosity set me on this path.”
Born in Brazil and raised with a sense of wonder, Nathan’s first mentor was Mr. Adler, the school IT teacher who introduced him to RPG Maker. “He appointed me as a lab monitor and taught me to code while we built a game together. That’s when I fell in love with creating things from scratch.”
Fast forward to his freshman year at the University of Central Florida, where Nathan’s world cracked open at his very first hackathon, SwampHacks VI. It was chaotic in the best way. “We sprinted across campus carrying sleeping bags, backpacks, and leftover burgers just to make check-in,” he laughs. “Later, friends brought us towels and shampoo so we could shower before judging. Maybe we weren’t fully ready—but we were all in.”
That weekend, Nathan’s team built Solace, a disaster-relief SMS app that won “Best First-Time Hacker.” But more than the award, it was the community that hooked him. With support from groups like KnightHacks and SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers), Nathan dove into over 30 hackathons, wearing hats as a participant, mentor, and eventually a leader.
“I realized I didn’t just want to code. I wanted to create, collaborate, and help others break into tech too,” he says. Through KnightHacks, he ran workshops on web development and Google technologies, mentored new hackers, and helped beginners overcome that initial wall of self-doubt. “It’s normal to feel intimidated at your first event. I’ve been there. But with community and persistence, you can overcome anything.”
Nathan also turned hackathon ideas into real-world ventures through UCF’s UpStarts incubator. His work caught the attention of faculty and administrators, earning him invitations to speak at conferences and even meet corporate partners in New York. He later joined the MLH Fellowship with Meta, where he dove into AI projects and leveled up both technically and professionally. Now, Nathan is working as a Software Engineer at Microsoft, putting his AI expertise to the test as he tackles challenging projects and continues to innovate in the field.
When he’s not mentoring or hacking, Nathan enjoys playing pickleball, collaborating with teams on Miro, and pulling out the occasional magic trick. Yes, really. “During my first year, I performed card tricks at a talent show at the Google Office in Massachusetts. People still laugh about it.”
Nathan now sees his mission clearly: make tech more approachable and inclusive. “Hackathons showed me the power of building things together. Now I want to help others experience that same spark, and show them that they belong in this space too.”
And if he shows up to a hackathon with a deck of cards and a smile? You’re in for a good time and a great build.
