University of Miami junior Gaelle Orlane Charlet is gearing up for one of the most anticipated events on campus for students in STEM—the 30-hour coding hackathon known as UHack. Charlet, who is graduating in 2024 with a double major in computer science and interactive media, and a minor in graphic design, shares some knowledge about UHack and its importance for students in STEM.
What is UHack?
UHack is a coding hackathon at the University that brings together students who are interested in coding and computer programming. The last UHack as held in 2017 and it was also put on hold due to COVID-19, so it’s great to have it back on campus. UHack is a two-day event where students will create a computer application in about 30 hours. We anticipate close to 100 students at UHack. This year’s theme is “Sustainability,” so the applications must be centered on that theme.
Who is hosting UHack?
I am the current president of the Developer Student Club (DSC), and we’re organizing and hosting UHack. The DSC is sponsored by Google Developers. Currently, we have about 70 members who join our general meetings. This is my second semester as president of the DSC and a new president will take the helm in the fall.
How important is it for women to be represented at UHack?
That’s an interesting question because the board of the DSC is mostly female. Maybe because we are a board entirely made of women, I feel like we attract a lot of female programmers who are into computer programming and game design. For UHack, we welcome all students to attend, from UM and other institutions, but it’s great to see females represented at STEM events, especially a hackathon.
What are your plans for the summer?
This summer, I will be interning at Activision, one of the largest companies in game development and design. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but the recruiter (who is also female) was very supportive. Ever since high school, I have had this idea of creating my own company for game designers that is geared specifically for women in the industry, so that’s a dream that I hope to accomplish in the future.
