What is uOttaHack?
uOttaHack has been the University of Ottawa’s student-led hackathon since 2017, bringing together students from across North America to learn, collaborate, and build through hackathons and community events. My first experience with uOttaHack was in 2020 as a high school volunteer—my first exposure to the world of tech—and an experience that played a significant role in my decision to pursue computer science the following year.
My Experience
Fast forward to my freshman year at the University of Ottawa—I was eager to get involved in hackathon organizing. However, I soon discovered that the uOttaHack organizing team was inactive. Determined to revive it, I assembled a team of 18 other students, pitched our vision to past organizers, and worked over the next eight months to bring back our university’s first in-person hackathon since 2020.
Each day brought new challenges and a growing list of tasks. However, what made us succeed was the team’s eagerness to contribute, support one another, and ensure the event’s success—from planning to execution. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned from a challenge, it’s to surround yourself with people who share your passion and go beyond their responsibilities.
Looking back, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved as a team and the community we’ve built—now over 4,000 students eager to build, explore their passions, and excited for future uOttaHack events. It was an incredible journey, and I’m grateful to have been part of it 🚀.
With that said, this year wasn’t our first rodeo! As a team, we took a long-term view on how we want to grow uOttaHack, building on the strong foundation set by past events. In the end, we scaled to our largest event yet, attracted top sponsors, and introduced new community events—staying true to uOttaHack’s mission of creating a safe, fun, and comfortable environment for students to build and explore their passions.
If you’re curious to learn more, I wrote a short blog post with a behind-the-scenes look at everything that went into planning the event and a thank you to the participants, sponsors, and volunteers who made it possible ❤️. Also, check out our event recap video below :)
2024 Website: https://2024.uottahack.ca/