Temple OwlHacks Night Owl for the Second Time

On October 6, 2024, I had the chance to serve as the Temple OwlHacks hackathon Night Owl for the second time. I love being around students during those late-night stretches when ideas are still messy, teams are still figuring things out, and a quick conversation can help someone get unstuck.

Hackathons mean a lot to me because I spent so much time at them as an undergraduate. They were some of the first places where I learned how much could happen when people were willing to build quickly, ask for help, try strange ideas, and learn in public.

That is still my favorite part of OwlHacks. Yes, students build projects, but they also form new bonds, make friends, learn how to work through ambiguity, and discover that they are capable of more than they expected at the beginning of the weekend.

Getting to be the Night Owl again felt like a small way to give back to the kind of environment that shaped me. I am always grateful for the energy students bring to these events, especially in the late hours when problem solving becomes equal parts technical, social, and wonderfully chaotic.