After all the planning and preparation, the big day finally arrived: HackFRee 2025 was ready to go! From the early morning meet-and-greet with the 501st Legion to the late-night judging and celebrations, the event was packed with energy, learning, and plenty of fun moments. In this post, I’ll walk you through the event structure, how participants engaged with the activities, and my personal role in making everything run smoothly.
Kickoff and Structure
The day kicked off with the 501st Legion, a fan group known for their amazing Star Wars costumes, setting the tone with an exciting meet-and-greet. For the first few hours, participants were able to take photos with these iconic characters. It was a great way to break the ice and get everyone excited before diving into the hackathon. I was amazed by how much detail went into their costumes, and it was clear that the kids loved it.
When most participants arrived, we moved into the opening ceremony. I had the honor of being one of the two speakers. We went over the schedule, explained the rules and guidelines, and made sure participants knew what to expect throughout the day. We emphasized safety, the importance of being respectful, and the need to keep everything tidy. We also covered some exciting highlights, including the mini-events and workshops that would run throughout the day.
One of the big draws for the ceremony was our rundown of HackFRee’s mission, our hackathon categories, and the different bootcamps offered. There was a lot of energy in the room as we introduced the raffle and prizes. We also made sure to give clear instructions on how to set up their DevPost accounts, create teams, and submit their projects.
With the opening ceremony wrapped up, it was time for everyone to get to work! At 10:15 a.m., the hackathon officially began, with teams diving into their projects while also attending various workshops and bootcamps.
Mini-Events, Workshops, and Bootcamps
One of the things I loved most about HackFRee 2025 was the variety of activities we offered to participants. We didn’t just want to focus on the coding challenges—there was also plenty of room for creativity, fun, and learning through our mini-events.
For example, we had the BreakOut EDU escape room challenge, where teams raced against the clock to solve puzzles. The fastest team earned a prize, which created a fun, competitive atmosphere. Other mini-events like the Pololu Zumo robotics challenge, FTC Demos, and the Cup Stacking Challenge gave students the chance to take a break from coding and try something different. And, of course, the Karaoke and cup-stacking session later in the evening let everyone unwind and enjoy some light-hearted entertainment. The Trivia Game kept the energy high as participants battled it out in a friendly competition.
The workshops were another big hit. I personally led the App Development Bootcamp, which was split into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It was amazing to see how engaged participants were, especially as they picked up new skills and built their first apps during the session. We also had workshops on AI/ML, fluid dynamics, and college planning, which gave students a chance to dive deeper into subjects they might not have explored before.
The bootcamps—such as Web Development, Programming Raspberry Pi with Python, and Introduction to Large Language Modeling with Neural Networks—were designed to give participants hands-on experience with real-world technologies. These sessions were interactive, and I could see how much the students appreciated being able to learn directly from mentors and peers. Each bootcamp was carefully timed and had its own room, so there was never a dull moment during the event.
Participant Engagement
One of my favorite parts of the event was watching how the participants collaborated and engaged with each other. Most teams came in with pre-formed groups, but for those who didn’t, we had a system in place to help them find teammates. Each team was given a dedicated table, and from there, they worked together to tackle the challenges.
Mentorship was also a huge part of the experience. Throughout the day, I went around, checking in with teams, answering questions, and offering advice on everything from debugging code to organizing projects. Many students were working with coding languages like Python and Java, so I helped them troubleshoot their work and guided them through tough coding problems. It was amazing to watch them grow as they figured things out on their own, with just a bit of guidance from me.
In addition to in-person support, we made sure online resources were available. Students had access to guides and tutorials to help them throughout the day. We also ensured that there were always mentors available for quick consultations, which made it easy for students to get the help they needed without missing a beat.
Food, Fun, and Fellowship
No event is complete without food, and HackFRee 2025 definitely delivered! For lunch, we had pizza with a variety of flavors—everything from classic cheese to chicken with hot sauce. It was a great way for students to refuel, chat with others, and take a breather before diving back into their projects.
For dinner, we really stepped it up with a taco bar. Participants could build their perfect tacos, choosing from an assortment of meats, veggies, and toppings. And if that wasn’t enough, the red velvet white chocolate chip cookies were an absolute hit (for me at least)! The cookies disappeared quickly, with many participants coming back for seconds (or thirds!) and taking some to save for later. The food provided a great way to keep the energy up throughout the event, and it gave everyone a chance to relax and connect with others outside the competitive atmosphere.
My Role During the Event
Throughout the day, my role was dynamic. In addition to running the App Development Bootcamp, I was also helping with raffle prize sorting. I used Google Forms and Sheets to manage the raffle entries, which ensured that the entire process was smooth and organized. I spent part of the day monitoring the project submissions and making sure everything was in place for the final judging.
As a mentor, I was constantly moving between teams, offering support with code, brainstorming project ideas, and helping teams stay on track. Whether it was guiding a group through their DevPost submissions or helping them with last-minute tweaks to their projects, I made sure to be there every step of the way.
Closing Thoughts
By the time the clock struck midnight, it was clear that HackFRee 2025 had been a success. The projects were impressive, the energy was high, and the community of students, mentors, and organizers felt like one big family. From the 501st Legion’s meet-and-greet to the final presentations, everything came together beautifully, and it was incredible to see how much everyone had accomplished in just one day.
To see the incredibly interesting projects, please visit HackFRee 2025's Devpost.
Looking Ahead: Part 3 – Reflections and Suggestions for Improvement
In the final part of this series, I’ll reflect on the event’s successes and areas where we could improve. I’ll also offer some helpful tips for anyone interested in organizing their own hackathon. Stay tuned for more!
About the Author:
I'm Jophy Lin, a high school junior and researcher. I blog about a variety of topics, such as STEM research, competitions, shows, and my experiences in the scientific community. If you’re interested in research tips, competition insights, drama reviews, personal reflections on STEM opportunities, and other related topics, subscribe to my newsletter to stay updated!
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