Context: I had the opportunity to participate in UMD’s Terps Makeathon 2021. Terps Makeathon is a 24-hour hackathon where teams get together and complete design challenges from the sponsors; in this case, the University of Maryland’s iSchool Alumni Network. I was on a team of four. 

Problem: iSchool Alumni have the opportunity to enjoy free and discounted UMD events and iSchool events for lifelong learning, networking, or just for fun! But many iSchool students and recent graduates are unaware of these services and so don’t join the iSchool Alumni Network. There is a huge disconnect between how the iSchool Alumni Network advertises itself to recent grads, and how the recent grads experience the Alumni Network. They both want to provide/gain opportunities to network and connect, but the page information did not incentivize or engage the target audience. Both alumni and the iSchool Alumni Network are left without the chance to experience each other.