Computing Systems Student Proud to Showcase Trent’s Technology Prowess
Dexter Fichuk brings opportunties to Trent students thanks to technical and networking skills
Electric City Hacks will make its debut at Trent University in Peterborough from November 4-6, and it’s described by event co-director and fourth-year Computing Systems student Dexter Fichuk, as an inclusive event that brings together 400 brilliant minds from across North America to design, build and create. No coding experience is required.
“The hackathon enables students from all majors to unite with mentors from different tech companies for 36 hours to learn, network, and build anything they can imagine. Electric City Hacks will spotlight Trent’s technological capabilities and encourage collaboration and competition with other universities across Canada,” he said."Planning Electric City Hacks has been an amazing experience and opportunity in itself, and there is no way it could be pulled off without the amazing team of organizers. We're all looking forward to seeing it come together."
Mr. Fichuk is specializing in Software Engineering, Computer Science, and High Performance Computing. For this consummate networker and seasoned hackathon participant, this is not the first time he has raised awareness or spearheaded an event.
Initially a first-year Business student at Trent, he co-founded Project10k, a day where students raised $10,000 to build a school in Kenya. He was astonished by the Trent student support.
Driven to further promote Trent University, Mr. Fichuk took a position earlier this year as a campus ambassador with Communitech, an innovation hub in the Kitchener/Waterloo area. His role is to connect Trent students from various disciplines with the growing tech industry in the Waterloo Region.
“We brought over thirty Trent students by bus to Kitchener/Waterloo recently,” he said. “We toured amazing companies including TD, Shopify Plus, Magnet Forensics and more.”
This opportunity comes on the heels of landing a summer placement at BlackBerry after months of cold calling and connecting with developers.
“Starting at BlackBerry I knew I had an opportunity to represent future Trent students, encourage more recruitment from our school and forge a relationship between Trent and BlackBerry,” he said.
At Trent he appreciates the freedom to explore diverse areas of study. He also credits his professors for developing his technical and leadership skills.
“For students that value hands-on learning and genuine discussions, Trent is an excellent choice,” he states. “The professors of Trent’s (COIS) program are some of the most talented and inspiring people. They teach students to think critically and most importantly, transform ideas into reality.”