From August 16 to 18, while the preseason athletes and boarders were getting ready to head back to school, members of the Peddie Computer Science Club were preparing for a major event: PeddieHacks.
The students hosted the fifth annual PeddieHacks, a virtual 48-hour hackathon open to high school and college students, with skills ranging from novice programmers to seasoned competitors. The event was exhilarating, forging connections between Peddie alumni and current students, as well as students from across the globe, through workshops, gaming sessions and programming. This year’s competition challenged participants to test their creativity and create a project within the themes of music or travel.
The organizers began their efforts at the beginning of each year, with the Finance and Marketing Team contacting potential sponsors and fundraising. This year, they raised over $130,000 in prizes! Finance and Marketing Team Leader Eliza Lamar ’25 remarked, “PeddieHacks has not only grown my interest in Computer Science, but my work on the Finance and Marketing Team has taught me how to send concise, yet personal, emails. It has pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me lifelong skills.”
Another crucial part of PeddieHacks was finding workshop speakers and judges. The Logistics Team worked diligently to contact Peddie alumni such as Robin Giese ’98, who gave a presentation about his career experiences and provided professional advice to the participants. The judging team also included a wide array of Peddie alumni, such as Elizabeth Hu ’21, who founded PeddieHacks back in 2020!
A total of 325 participants from across the world — India, Malaysia, Poland, Canada and many more — tuned in to the PeddieHacks opening ceremony on August 16. The event featured three workshops and gaming sessions, to create connections between participants and to grow a community. Organizers were available around the clock for Q&A to help competitors throughout the weekend.
The project submission deadline was August 18, and the organizers worked closely with the judging team to review all 38 submissions and determine the winners. The creativity was evident – from frog-themed karaoke apps to trip schedulers, PeddieHacks had it all. Four Peddie students won prizes at the event: Yang (Philip) Han ’25, Alvin Kim ’26, Che (Jayden) Li ’26, and Jingyi Han ’26. PeddieHacks gives students a unique opportunity to improve their coding skills, try new techniques and have fun working with their friends.
Planning and executing this event yearly requires dedication, but the experience is rewarding for all students involved and allows them to make a widespread impact while learning leadership and communication skills.
