The impact of Hackathon #1 didn’t stop at final submissions. Since the event ended, students have kept building—on their projects, their confidence, and their communities.

A member of the Aesa team told us he’d never built anything with AI before the hackathon. Now he’s applying for internships and exploring data ethics in his free time. “Before this, I didn’t think I had the skills to do something that mattered,” he said. “Now I know I do.”

At least three students who joined solo have since started coding clubs at their schools. One of them is organizing weekly build sessions using leftover project ideas from the hackathon. Another launched a peer mentorship program to help more students learn the basics of app development.

Even teams that didn’t win found direction. One student shared that her group’s idea didn’t work out as planned—but the experience showed her how to work under pressure, communicate clearly, and build something real. She’s now using those same skills to start her first freelance project.

This is why we run events like this. It’s not just about the apps. It’s about what happens after—the confidence, momentum, and community that students carry forward.

If this is what came from Hackathon #1, we can’t wait to see what comes next.

— Arnav Bonigala