Damilola Awofisayo Of Nigeria Is The Winner Of The Apple WWDC 2021 Swift Student Challenge
Damilola Awofisayo of Nigeria is the winner of the Apple WWDC 2021 swift student challenge
The Apple Worldwide Developers Conference Swift Student Challenge winners have been announced, and at least one of them is Nigerian.
Damilola Awofisayo, 17, of Woodbridge, Virginia, is one of the young people who entered and won the challenge. 350 winners were chosen from among the applicants from 35 different countries and regions. However, this year's challenge attracted a greater number of young female participants than in previous years.
Apple highlighted Awofisayo, as well as two other women, Gianna Yan and Abinaya Ginesh, in its Newsroom post.
Awofisayo founded TecHacks, a nonprofit organization that hosts virtual hackathons for women and nonbinary individuals. She had applied to a few hackathons prior to founding TecHacks in the hope of participating in at least one. She was, however, rejected by them all and decided to start her own with a friend.
According to Damilola, the nonprofit's first hackathon took place in August 2020 and drew over 800 participants from more than 60 countries. Balsamiq, Digital Ocean, Athena, and Voiceflow provided prizes totaling $8,216 to the participants.
Awofisayo's long-term goal is to increase female participation in technology and to collaborate with others to ensure that technology benefits people of all backgrounds equally. “We started TecHacks with the idea that we know what we like and dislike about technology, as well as what can be done to improve it for girls specifically,” she explained.
The nonprofit's team is diverse and includes Nigerian girls. Being diverse is critical to Awofisayo's mission of inspiring people from various countries who are in desperate need of the opportunities that TecHacks can provide. Every August, the hackathon takes place.
Another female winner, Gianna Yan and her sister Shannon, created an application that connects volunteers with at-risk individuals in need of assistance with grocery shopping and other basic needs. The concept was inspired by her grandparents' struggle to get necessary supplies delivered to their home in Hawaii.
Abinaya Dinesh, on the other hand, created an app called Gastro with the goal of providing information and resources to people suffering from gastrointestinal disorders. She was diagnosed with a pelvic floor disorder, but the doctor did not advise her on how to improve. These disorders can be highly sensitive to discuss, necessitating the creation of a safe space in which individuals can freely discuss and inquire about their situation.
Finally
However, these three young women are not the only ones who have triumphed in the challenge. Additionally, 347 young men and women from various countries have been selected as winners.
Each participant will receive a ticket to the WWDC, which begins next Monday, as well as all of the educational events that have already been planned. Additionally, they will receive a year's membership in the Apple Developer Program, as well as commemorative WWDC outerwear and a customized pin set.
