Jhoon Yi, 22
The Power of Persistence: How Jhoon Yi Turned Failure into Legacy
“I actually started out being terrible at coding,” explains Jhoon Yi. “I barely tried in school and even failed a beginner Python course.” But his path shifted dramatically when he was introduced to hackathons.
While attending HackJam during his second year at the University of South Florida, Jhoon was immediately drawn to the electric energy and intense spirit of the environment. Coming from a competitive background in gaming and sports, that high-octane atmosphere felt instantly familiar. “I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved,” he recounts. The experience sparked a fire inside him. “After teaching myself practical skills outside of the classroom, I developed a genuine love for technology. I realized I could actually build things rather than just studying theory.” Riding this wave of inspiration, armed with a fresh perspective and newfound motivation, Jhoon transformed his trajectory - evolving from an unfocused student into a hackathon winner.
Jhoon jumped headfirst into the hackathon scene, eager to put his skills to the test. A pivotal moment arrived when he traveled solo to Knight Hacks VII after his teammates decided not to go at the last minute. Pushing past the hesitation to compete alone, he formed a new team on-site and built EcoSense, a smart dashboard to help homeowners track and optimize real-time energy usage. Their solution won the NextEra Energy Efficiency Challenge and earned Jhoon an internship interview. That single victory unlocked a summer internship and ultimately a full-time job offer - a life-changing breakthrough.
Riding that wave of success, Jhoon’s hackathon path eventually brought him back to familiar ground for a full-circle moment. “Traveling to Georgia Tech for my second Hacklytics was incredibly special. The first time I attended, I was a complete beginner.” He teamed up with a friend to build Alleaf - a holistic mental health solution that merges hardware, machine learning, and generative AI to provide real-time anxiety relief. Winning Best Overall, 1st Place stood as undeniable proof of just how far he had come. He may have arrived late to the game, but that victory proved beyond a doubt that he was right where he belonged.
His competitive collegiate career came to a victorious close at LAHacks 2026. Driven to address pressing environmental challenges, Jhoon and his team created Drip - an eco-friendly system combining edge computing with custom chemistry hardware to transform AI waste heat into clean water. Not only did they take home top honors in the Sustain the Spark track, but their working prototype successfully desalinated Santa Monica Beach water into fresh drinking water. It was a triumphant conclusion to an extraordinary streak, marking Jhoon's seventh hackathon win.
Having recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in information technology, Jhoon leaves behind a lasting legacy as former Vice President of the Google Developer Group at USF. Additionally, he co-founded and organized HackUSF. For the inaugural iteration, he guided his team through the challenge of launching a flagship event, bringing together over 200 students to create the very atmosphere that transformed his own life. “Through this experience, I connected with fellow hackers and organizers, and I grew to love not just developing tech, but developing connections.” That initial spark set off rapid momentum: in 2026, the second iteration grew from 200 to 300 hackers, becoming the largest collegiate hackathon in Tampa.
Beyond his campus, Jhoon actively united organizers across the state from events like ShellHacks, SwampHacks, WiNGHacks, KnightHacks, and SharkByte, while advocating for sponsors to provide direct interview pipelines for participants.
By proving that anyone can redefine their future through grit and self-driven learning, Jhoon continues to empower the next generation of builders, lighting the same fire in others that once changed everything for him. “My story is proof that anyone can achieve their goals if they are truly committed,” reflects Jhoon. “I always strive to act as a mentor and a source of motivation, showing that even if you feel like you aren't ‘good enough’ yet, what matters is doing your personal best to grow both professionally and personally. After all, I went from failing the simplest beginner Python course to becoming a [seven]-time hackathon winner.”
Quick Facts
Jhoon Yi, 22
The Power of Persistence: How Jhoon Yi Turned Failure into Legacy
“I actually started out being terrible at coding,” explains Jhoon Yi. “I barely tried in school and even failed a beginner Python course.” But his path shifted dramatically when he was introduced to hackathons.
While attending HackJam during his second year at the University of South Florida, Jhoon was immediately drawn to the electric energy and intense spirit of the environment. Coming from a competitive background in gaming and sports, that high-octane atmosphere felt instantly familiar. “I knew immediately that I wanted to get involved,” he recounts. The experience sparked a fire inside him. “After teaching myself practical skills outside of the classroom, I developed a genuine love for technology. I realized I could actually build things rather than just studying theory.” Riding this wave of inspiration, armed with a fresh perspective and newfound motivation, Jhoon transformed his trajectory - evolving from an unfocused student into a hackathon winner.
Jhoon jumped headfirst into the hackathon scene, eager to put his skills to the test. A pivotal moment arrived when he traveled solo to Knight Hacks VII after his teammates decided not to go at the last minute. Pushing past the hesitation to compete alone, he formed a new team on-site and built EcoSense, a smart dashboard to help homeowners track and optimize real-time energy usage. Their solution won the NextEra Energy Efficiency Challenge and earned Jhoon an internship interview. That single victory unlocked a summer internship and ultimately a full-time job offer - a life-changing breakthrough.
Riding that wave of success, Jhoon’s hackathon path eventually brought him back to familiar ground for a full-circle moment. “Traveling to Georgia Tech for my second Hacklytics was incredibly special. The first time I attended, I was a complete beginner.” He teamed up with a friend to build Alleaf - a holistic mental health solution that merges hardware, machine learning, and generative AI to provide real-time anxiety relief. Winning Best Overall, 1st Place stood as undeniable proof of just how far he had come. He may have arrived late to the game, but that victory proved beyond a doubt that he was right where he belonged.
His competitive collegiate career came to a victorious close at LAHacks 2026. Driven to address pressing environmental challenges, Jhoon and his team created Drip - an eco-friendly system combining edge computing with custom chemistry hardware to transform AI waste heat into clean water. Not only did they take home top honors in the Sustain the Spark track, but their working prototype successfully desalinated Santa Monica Beach water into fresh drinking water. It was a triumphant conclusion to an extraordinary streak, marking Jhoon's seventh hackathon win.
Having recently graduated with a bachelor's degree in information technology, Jhoon leaves behind a lasting legacy as former Vice President of the Google Developer Group at USF. Additionally, he co-founded and organized HackUSF. For the inaugural iteration, he guided his team through the challenge of launching a flagship event, bringing together over 200 students to create the very atmosphere that transformed his own life. “Through this experience, I connected with fellow hackers and organizers, and I grew to love not just developing tech, but developing connections.” That initial spark set off rapid momentum: in 2026, the second iteration grew from 200 to 300 hackers, becoming the largest collegiate hackathon in Tampa.
Beyond his campus, Jhoon actively united organizers across the state from events like ShellHacks, SwampHacks, WiNGHacks, KnightHacks, and SharkByte, while advocating for sponsors to provide direct interview pipelines for participants.
By proving that anyone can redefine their future through grit and self-driven learning, Jhoon continues to empower the next generation of builders, lighting the same fire in others that once changed everything for him. “My story is proof that anyone can achieve their goals if they are truly committed,” reflects Jhoon. “I always strive to act as a mentor and a source of motivation, showing that even if you feel like you aren't ‘good enough’ yet, what matters is doing your personal best to grow both professionally and personally. After all, I went from failing the simplest beginner Python course to becoming a [seven]-time hackathon winner.”
