Jennifer Roques
"Going into the hackathon without knowing what to expect, I was impressed. If you needed support, you received it, bottom line–and it came from a safe space. I never felt judged or condescended in any way. TechTogether really provided an inclusive space for underrepresented people in tech, and us developers could really build each other up!"
Jaylene
"However, when TechTogether New York started, all of my fears and anxiety were alleviated. While TechTogether New York was a competition, it also served as a means of networking and education. Mentors were provided, questions were encouraged, no tech completions were offered, and there were tutorials and demonstration seminars throughout the duration of the event."
Rowan Polster
"TechTogether elevated the voices of those too often underrepresented in tech, and the results, for me, were life-changing. Like my first hackathon, TechTogether Seattle made me realize a few key things about myself: one, I love to meet other hackers and learn what inspires them; two, I thrive in a collaborative, supportive environment; three, I do belong in the tech community; and four, I may not be passionate about writing functions or running database migrations, but I am passionate about creating solutions to real-life problems."
Caitlin Wall
"TechTogether gave me a great virtual experience that was also a stepping stone to being able to attend an in-person hackathon in the future."
Crystal Chan
"TechTogether was not my first hackathon (it was my second technically). However, I do keep coming back to TechTogether because of how much I learn every weekend...I haven’t missed a single TechTogether hackathon since TechTogether Atlanta in February 2021!"
Deana Jackson
"I walked away from this hackathon with more than I could have imagined, friends, connections, a ReadMe for my GitHub Profile, technical interview tips, and general stoke about connecting with others and continuing on my path."
Siya Jariwala
"PreHacks completely changed my perspective on hackathons. For the longest time, I let my fear conquer me and didn’t attend a hackathon. My mind was jumbled up with a bunch of what-ifs. What if I don’t find a team? What if I am not experienced enough? What if I can’t contribute as much as the others? I could go on and on with all the doubts that were clouding my mind. TechTogether PreHacks answered all of my what-ifs."
Zoe Friedman
"Am I too old? No. This felt clear almost immediately. Sure, there were a lot of high school, and college-age hackers (and event leaders) but no one cared AT ALL how old anyone was. If anything, my life experience was an asset."
Vishakha
"Participating in a team of all female-identifying/non-binary team members who are more likely to identify with your experiences with tech or a supportive team, in general, can be life-changing."
Tynen Wang
"However, TechTogether’s Boston PreHacks has completely changed the way I think about hackathons now. TechTogether has given me confidence through its community-based platform and has taught me that anyone can attend these informative AND sociable events!"
Samarah Ruggs
"This project was a great opportunity for us all to grow our skills, find new topics to learn about, and use the cloud for the first time. I had experience with AWS but not so much with Azure, so it was nice to be exposed to and research more about this technology."
Alicia Landa
"PreHacks didn’t just teach me about computer science, but confidence. It helped me stop stressing about the future and college. I started to believe again that I can major in computer science — even if I don’t get into Berkeley or a fancy college. I’m not just saying this: thanks to PreHacks, I decided to continue my journey with computer science."
Neala Mendoza
"TechTogether proved that anyone with any background can learn and create a project."
Guadalupe Medina
"I remember the first-ever hackathon that I attended was TechTogether New York and it really helped take the fear away from hackathons because of the amazing community and my team."
Malak Abdeldayem
"At PreHacks New York, I gained a better understanding of hackathons and gained confidence in my computer science skills. In fact, I was even more prepared for my second hackathon than my first one. This encouraged me to sign up for Tech Together New York."
Savannah Hirschi
"Other hackathons I have attended in the past have made me feel very stressed or anxious about timelines or competing, but this hackathon lets me focus on learning new things and connecting with amazing other individuals just like me."
Damilola Awofisayo
"I’m not exaggerating when I say it seems like I learned more on the weekend of TechTogether Boston than I did in my first CS class. I built my very first Flask backend, successfully used a very complicated API with an SDK (I didn’t even know what SDK meant!), not to mention I learned a lot about finance and investment (pretty useful skills you need as an adult)."
Maria Paula Fernandez
"These three girls made me feel very empowered, and I quickly forgot my fears when first coming into the event...I invite all individuals, especially those who ever thought about participating in these events but chose not to because of fear of leaving their comfort zones, to attend the next TechTogether hackathon."
Emily Cooper
"TechTogether completely changed my outlook on hackathons and has helped me gain confidence in both myself and my technical abilities."
Ronisha Genwright
"Last month, I attended HobbyHacks hosted by TechTogether. This was my first virtual hackathon, which also happened to be my first hackathon ever. Throughout the event, I felt anxious, nervous, excited, and curious. This event was definitely an experience of a lifetime."
Mariko (Mari) Woodworth
"As a girl interested in STEM, I’ve always felt imposter syndrome regarding careers in tech and constantly underestimated myself. However, when I attended HobbyHacks last month, I was surprised to find a safe space for all hackers — even those who were beginners, like me."
Jamie Dela Cruz
"It really is true that you get out what you put in. No matter what your skill level is, don’t feel pressured to craft your hackathon experience in a certain way. Everyone is on a different path, and your learning style will probably be different from the learning style of the next coder."