Aruzhan Massalina, 22
The Community Advocate, Overcoming Doubt to Drive Real-World Impact
To understand how Aruzhan Massalina became a driving force in student leadership at York University, you have to look back to where her journey began: a story rooted in self-taught persistence and a brave decision to embrace her true passion.
Studying remotely in Kazakhstan during the COVID-19 lockdown, she decided to learn to code, teaching herself Java. She entered her first online hackathon, TecHacks 2020. “I had to learn everything from scratch - from setting up Android Studio to building my first functional components. I found the process deeply rewarding, especially the independence and problem-solving it required.” But when it came time to decide on a career path, doubt crept in. Believing that only students with major achievements could succeed in this field, Aruzhan initially pursued finance during her first year at York. However, she quickly realized something was missing. Through conversations and connections, she had a grounding revelation: “I was reminded of what initially drew me to technology: building meaningful, complex systems that have real-world impact.” Her path forward now in focus, she transferred into Computer Engineering.
Her first, in-person entry into the hacker ecosystem was at HackThe6ix 2025. Excited for the challenge, that same doubt that initially held her back crept back in on day one. Navigating a male-dominated environment tested her confidence, but Aruzhan conquered those anxieties through determination and teamwork. By day two, her team built a fully working project, Beats by Air - a motion-powered air-drumming system using sensors and QNX RTOS. “That moment completely changed my perspective. I realised that hackathons are not about being the most experienced person in the room, but about being willing to learn, build, and collaborate under pressure. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be part of the hacker community - not just as a participant, but as someone who actively contributes, builds, and grows alongside others.” Not only did they successfully submit their project, they got the win - receiving the Best Use of QNX award.
Aruzhan’s leadership is rooted in real-life experience; her journey is precisely what makes her an exceptional tech community advocate. While President of the Computing Students Hub (CSHub) at York, she focused on building an inclusive community across Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering students, with an emphasis on increasing representation for women in tech. She has overseen the planning and execution of more than 50 events - hackathons, technical workshops, networking panels - securing speakers from leading companies such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), TELUS, and Kyndryl. Partnering with Major League Hacking (MLH), she organized CSHub Local Hack Day, a beginner-friendly hackathon that ensured those with no prior experience had an accessible entry point into the community.
Beyond organizing, she still makes time to build projects that make a real-world impact. At CTRL+HACK+DEL 2.0, her team developed S.E.N.S.E. - an eyewear system that translates visual surroundings into spatial audio and tactile feedback through glasses. Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 and Arduino Nano, the glasses use temple-mounted buzzers to vibrate faster as users approach obstacles, while a Python server connects the Google Gemini Vision API and ElevenLabs TTS to whisper real-time spatial context. Bridging empathetic leadership with hands-on technical innovation, Aruzhan empowers emerging builders while demonstrating the transformative impact of accessible, real-world technology.
Her hackathon projects and technical portfolio also served as the direct catalyst for landing a Software Engineering internship at Magna International within the Mirrors & Mechatronics division's Computer-Aided Engineering team.
Aruzhan speaks four languages - English, Russian, German, and Kazakh - a multilingual perspective that enriches how she connects with diverse student groups. Looking to the future, Aruzhan remains dedicated to expanding access for emerging builders and fostering environments where every student feels supported to take technical risks. "My story is not just about personal growth, but about lifting others along the way and making the community more accessible, inclusive, and impactful,” Aruzhan shares. “The hacker community helped me build a clear vision for my future. I now have specific goals, a strong support network, and a sense of belonging in a field that genuinely excites me. It didn’t just teach me how to code - it helped me become more confident, resilient, and aligned with who I truly am.”
Quick Facts
Aruzhan Massalina, 22
The Community Advocate, Overcoming Doubt to Drive Real-World Impact
To understand how Aruzhan Massalina became a driving force in student leadership at York University, you have to look back to where her journey began: a story rooted in self-taught persistence and a brave decision to embrace her true passion.
Studying remotely in Kazakhstan during the COVID-19 lockdown, she decided to learn to code, teaching herself Java. She entered her first online hackathon, TecHacks 2020. “I had to learn everything from scratch - from setting up Android Studio to building my first functional components. I found the process deeply rewarding, especially the independence and problem-solving it required.” But when it came time to decide on a career path, doubt crept in. Believing that only students with major achievements could succeed in this field, Aruzhan initially pursued finance during her first year at York. However, she quickly realized something was missing. Through conversations and connections, she had a grounding revelation: “I was reminded of what initially drew me to technology: building meaningful, complex systems that have real-world impact.” Her path forward now in focus, she transferred into Computer Engineering.
Her first, in-person entry into the hacker ecosystem was at HackThe6ix 2025. Excited for the challenge, that same doubt that initially held her back crept back in on day one. Navigating a male-dominated environment tested her confidence, but Aruzhan conquered those anxieties through determination and teamwork. By day two, her team built a fully working project, Beats by Air - a motion-powered air-drumming system using sensors and QNX RTOS. “That moment completely changed my perspective. I realised that hackathons are not about being the most experienced person in the room, but about being willing to learn, build, and collaborate under pressure. From that point on, I knew I wanted to be part of the hacker community - not just as a participant, but as someone who actively contributes, builds, and grows alongside others.” Not only did they successfully submit their project, they got the win - receiving the Best Use of QNX award.
Aruzhan’s leadership is rooted in real-life experience; her journey is precisely what makes her an exceptional tech community advocate. While President of the Computing Students Hub (CSHub) at York, she focused on building an inclusive community across Computer Science, Software Engineering, and Computer Engineering students, with an emphasis on increasing representation for women in tech. She has overseen the planning and execution of more than 50 events - hackathons, technical workshops, networking panels - securing speakers from leading companies such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), TELUS, and Kyndryl. Partnering with Major League Hacking (MLH), she organized CSHub Local Hack Day, a beginner-friendly hackathon that ensured those with no prior experience had an accessible entry point into the community.
Beyond organizing, she still makes time to build projects that make a real-world impact. At CTRL+HACK+DEL 2.0, her team developed S.E.N.S.E. - an eyewear system that translates visual surroundings into spatial audio and tactile feedback through glasses. Powered by a Raspberry Pi 4 and Arduino Nano, the glasses use temple-mounted buzzers to vibrate faster as users approach obstacles, while a Python server connects the Google Gemini Vision API and ElevenLabs TTS to whisper real-time spatial context. Bridging empathetic leadership with hands-on technical innovation, Aruzhan empowers emerging builders while demonstrating the transformative impact of accessible, real-world technology.
Her hackathon projects and technical portfolio also served as the direct catalyst for landing a Software Engineering internship at Magna International within the Mirrors & Mechatronics division's Computer-Aided Engineering team.
Aruzhan speaks four languages - English, Russian, German, and Kazakh - a multilingual perspective that enriches how she connects with diverse student groups. Looking to the future, Aruzhan remains dedicated to expanding access for emerging builders and fostering environments where every student feels supported to take technical risks. "My story is not just about personal growth, but about lifting others along the way and making the community more accessible, inclusive, and impactful,” Aruzhan shares. “The hacker community helped me build a clear vision for my future. I now have specific goals, a strong support network, and a sense of belonging in a field that genuinely excites me. It didn’t just teach me how to code - it helped me become more confident, resilient, and aligned with who I truly am.”
