Lawson State students 'hack' real world, real-life energy problems
Several Lawson State students were among those recently chosen to tackle real-life business- and consumer-related challenges posed during the third annual Hack-A-Thon, hosted by Alabama Power Foundation and the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE).
Current Minds (Lawson's team) competed against Alabama groups from four historically black colleges, universities and one other community college. Lawson team members included Matt Gray, Jamon Robinson, Alicia Franklin, Noble Rasheed, and Jaidyn Cowans. As a team, they spent weeks examining matters related to energy consumption, consumer needs, customer income challenges, and how technology can help address difficult issues.
During Hack-A-Thon, students had 10 minutes to share a pitch deck focused on how they
could help solve energy efficiency problems among people living in affordable housing.
In many cases, lower-income homes are less efficient and create higher energy bills
for those who can least afford them.
The pressure to craft a solution, share ideas, and answer questions from judges was an intense experience.
"It was eye-opening," said Matt, who hopes to help coach a future Hack-A-Thon team at Lawson. "I met so many people from many cultures -- some of them from all over the world."
An Unforgettable Opportunity
"Opportunities like this are all about empowering tomorrow’s leaders today," said Akilih M. Haley, M.S.L., Lawson State's career and college transfer services coordinator. She was one of three advisors assisting students throughout the process.
While Current Minds did not place among the event winners, each of the team members benefited in other ways.
"Our time at the Hack-A-Thon was great opportunity for exploring internships and making job connections," Matt said, who was a little surprised by the exceptional levels of professionalism, etiquette, and the judges' expertise.
"And our team surprised me, too," Matt added. "We really did our thing!"
The event was designed to highlight human-centered brainstorming as a practical approach to arriving at innovative solutions, according to AABE. In general, the human design approach puts people at the center of a critical thinking process, often leading to novel solutions for longstanding problems.
"Our innovative students are tackling energy efficiency challenges, proving that sustainable solutions can thrive in every community," Ms. Haley added.
