13 December 2019

In October, a number of Arkwright Engineering Scholars were offered the chance to partake in Deutsche Banks’ 24-hour Global Hackathon. With over 1100 competitors taking part around the world, we were placed in teams with Deutsche Bank employees and STEMettes. For most of us Scholars, it was our first time participating in a Hackathon and I am sure that for all us it was an unforgettable experience.

It was a night to remember with a live DJ and talks from various Deutsche Bank members, including a video message from the CEO. In my team ‘Hack to the Future’, the 10 of us decided to merge various ideas, and through a cycle of development we eventually created a web-app to work alongside the already existing Deutsche Bank app. Despite not being as knowledgeable as other members of my team, I was proud to be able to co-operate, create mock-ups and code parts of the front-end design. Working continuously for a long period of time in a fast-paced team did not just provide me with invaluable skills but was a lot of fun! Pulling an all-nighter was very hard, and required lots of coffee, but was definitely a massive learning experience.

In the end, we had to present our ideas to panels of judges, where my team had the honour of not only winning the UK Hackathon but the Global Hackathon too! Even after the 24 hours, news of winning the entire event brought smiles to all our faces.

I would like to thank the hackathon organisers at Deutsche Bank, Arkwright for providing me with such an opportunity, and everyone who took part in the event for making the experience unforgettable. I made some real connections with people I hope to never lose.