Throughout my time at Branham High School in San Jose, CA, I was deeply involved with Blu’s Hacks (formerly the CUHSD Hackathon).

As a freshman, I was still exploring my interests in STEM and had little idea what I wanted to pursue. I only attended the hackathon because of some encouragement from friends, but the experience ultimately inspired me to enroll in computer science courses and eventually pursue engineering and computer science in college.

Growing up in a highly competitive, STEM-focused region, I often felt intimidated about exploring technical fields as a female student. Participating in Blu’s Hacks showed me that many opportunities had been available all along—I had simply been hesitant to pursue them because of the fear of judgment or failure. Realizing how transformative that experience was for me, I wanted to help create the same opportunity for other students.

In 2023, I joined the organizing team and led marketing efforts, including developing Blu’s Hacks’ visual identity. I expanded our online presence by launching Instagram and LinkedIn accounts and completely redesigning the sponsorship prospectus with Canva.

As a student-led event, Blu’s Hacks relied solely on donations and corporate sponsorships. That year, we were honored to receive the Campbell Union High School Education Foundation (CUHSDEF) Empathy Grant, awarded annually to one project at each district high school. With that support, we welcomed more than 100 participants for the first time in the event’s history.

In 2024 and 2025, I served as Director alongside Kevin Toren. Together, we worked to make the event more accessible to beginners by expanding our workshop offerings, recruiting additional mentors, and opening participation to local middle school students in addition to high schoolers.

During my final year as Director, Blu’s Hacks reached new milestones in both sponsorship and participant diversity. We secured more than $37,000 in sponsorships and welcomed our highest-ever proportions of beginner and female-identifying participants.

My Branham experience would not have been the same without Blu’s Hacks. From a small district hackathon to an event serving more than 100 students from dozens of schools, Blu’s Hacks has grown significantly over the years. Although I have graduated, I continue to mentor future directors and support the organization behind the scenes. I am excited to see how the next generation of student leaders expands its reach and continues lowering barriers to STEM education in our community.