Ignite: Empowering Education and Personal Growth

When I think of Summer Ignite, I see it as an adventure. I started off thinking I was just going to sit at a table with a computer, working on random code. I remember the first day when I missed my bus, then my stop, and ended up at the wrong place. It was a roller coaster of emotions, as I would call it. However, once I arrived at Harrisburg University and walked into the Launchpad space, I was no longer scared or nervous. I had a great time, from the morning circle to the 12:00 lunch breaks with my friends, and even building Raspberry Pi projects. I never thought I would be this motivated to wake up early in the morning during the summer to learn coding. As time went by, I started to feel more comfortable and became used to seeing my classmates every day. Our bond grew, and now I have a mutual connection with all my classmates. What motivated me to come to Launchpad every morning was the people and the environment created by my peers and educators. This sense of understanding is something I haven’t been used to before.

For our Ignite project, Malek and I came up with a fantastic idea: helping people in developing countries learn about technology and, hopefully, find education and job opportunities through our website. Our personal experiences, with Malek hailing from Yemen and myself from Pakistan, served as powerful motivation to make a difference. We’re genuinely committed to supporting those who lack access to essential resources. Our vision is to create a website that’s accessible worldwide and highly reliable, offering content in at least four languages. We also wanted to collaborate with schools back in our home countries to empower students interested in learning tech. You can find more information on our project by checking out our one-pager.

The pitch competition was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life. I had huge expectations of myself, and I didn’t want to fall short of them. I remember walking into Seers, my palms sweaty, and my hands shaking. I was confident that I would be in the top 3, but I wasn’t sure if I could perform as well as I hoped. However, once I got up to speak, I let go of all my doubts and fears. I realized that there were at least 100 people in the audience just to listen to us pitch; this was our day. I spotted my family in the audience, their hopes high, which motivated me to carry on until the end of the presentation. My favorite part of the night was when they announced the winner. There was rising tension, and the pressure continued to mount. None of us were sure who would win, but one thing I did know was that we all did amazing, and regardless of the winner, they deserved it. When I heard “Tech for Tech” announced as the winner, my face turned red, and I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Winning first place came with a prize of $500. However, I didn’t use that money for myself; instead, my sister and I had a special plan in mind. We were secretly organizing an Umrah trip to Saudi Arabia for our dad to surprise him with this unforgettable experience. Umrah is a pilgrimage to the Holy Kaaba, allowing Muslims to renew their faith, seek forgiveness, pray for their needs, and purify themselves from sins. When I told my dad about it, he became very emotional and was also surprised. He expressed deep gratitude because the trip can be costly, and having assistance is greatly appreciated. Starting school right after finishing the summer break wasn’t a piece of cake, especially since I had transitioned into full-time college. However, as time went on, and I wrapped my head around the new routine, I began to believe in myself more and more. This self-belief made the transition easier. I started feeling more comfortable in my new space because it was nice to have a place of our own that was permanent, unlike the shared living arrangements at Harrisburg University with people who weren’t part of our group.

Now I am almost halfway through my Launchpad journey and working every day on building my website. It is really special to look back at how far I’ve come. Even seeing photos of myself from the competition in August feels like such a long time ago from where I am today. Nevertheless, I am super excited to learn more and build myself up through this program and see where the future takes me.