Dylan Vidal, Leonard Gofman, and Richard Phillips, leaders of the University of Central Florida’s Knight Hacks organization, credit their group’s culture for shaping their academic and professional journeys. Knight Hacks, which began a decade ago with 80 members and now counts 1,000 participants, is known for its focus on mentorship, technical workshops, interview preparation, and fostering a supportive community among students interested in software development.
“I think we’d agree that it all points back to the culture of Knight Hacks,” said Vidal, who serves as president. Gofman added: “The culture and community, that’s what sets us apart.” Phillips summarized: “I think you guys said it all.”
Many students initially join Knight Hacks seeking job opportunities but soon find themselves part of an engaged community. “A lot of students come with their heads down, maybe thinking of Knight Hacks only as a path into job recruitment,” Gofman explained. “They might anticipate a seriously competitive environment where you have to prove yourself, and then find themselves in this fun, helpful community.”
Vidal reflected on his own experience joining the club with doubts about his skills. He noted that the environment at Knight Hacks helped him overcome feelings of inadequacy common among technology students. “There can be a feeling in technology that what you know is never good enough,” Vidal said. “That’s why Knight Hacks has been such a game-changer, even for our officers and directors.”
Phillips shared how participating in his first Hack Day changed his perspective after transferring from Broward Community College. “Those same smart people helped me debug a code I’d been struggling with,” he recalled. “They leveled me up and made me feel like I belong. From that day forward, I wanted to be like them — highly skilled and willing to help others.”
This collaborative spirit extends beyond campus activities into professional opportunities. Over the summer, Vidal interned at Nvidia in Santa Clara; Gofman worked at Statsig in Bellevue; Phillips was selected from thousands of applicants for an internship at Florida Blue in Miami.
“The mock interviews we do at Knight Hacks helped us tremendously,” Vidal said. He emphasized that the organization offers more than just coding skills by helping members bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations.
Knight Hacks’ annual fall Hackathon remains its signature event. On October 24th this year, more than 600 students are expected to gather across UCF’s engineering and business buildings for a 36-hour marathon focused on building software projects together.
“Hackathon is the pinnacle,” Vidal stated.
Participants will receive meals provided by sponsors while engaging in coding sessions as well as unique activities such as midnight karaoke and paper airplane competitions—features designed to foster camaraderie within the tech-focused environment.
“We make it a point to have fun, but essentially hackathon is whatever each person wants it to be,” Vidal explained.
Gofman highlighted how even unconventional ideas like the paper airplane contest attracted sponsor interest: “It shows us that tech companies really do value our culture.”
Despite long hours spent working on projects instead of typical college pastimes like games or trips to the beach, participants say they gain valuable relationships along with technical growth.
“Instead, we’re up all night building software and building relationships,” Vidal remarked.
All three student leaders acknowledged overcoming social barriers through their involvement with Knight Hacks—a transformation they attribute directly to participation in events like Hack Days and Hackathons.
Gofman concluded: “You never know where a first step will take you.” Phillips added: “It’s never too early and never too late.” Vidal summed up: “Like I said, we could talk about this forever.”
