VIRA: connect with yourself to connect with others

Teammates: Zurayna Fatima, Celina Steinberg

Description: Our team participated in the "Innovation" track for the hackathon, applying the "Health & Humanity," “Workshop Warrior”, "5C Community," and "Best Beginner" overlays.

VIRA aligns with the theme "Code to Connect" by helping college-aged students connect intentionally with their community during their formative years. VIRA addresses the challenge of overwhelming/disorganized career resources that are difficult to navigate as a young professional, consolidating these resources into one platform and connecting students with events, internships, and networking opportunities that align with their life values goals.

We used Figma/Notion for planning, Procreate for wireframes, and video editing tools.

VIRA prioritizes ethical practices by fostering user empowerment and autonomy in personal/professional life. The app avoids algorithmic bias by basing recommendations on user input, and offers a productive alternative to scrolling—instead, you can advance your career!

Purpose: Interviews with local college students revealed that many students lack clarity on where to find relevant opportunities, hindering their ability to make informed decisions about their futures.

By empowering users to prioritize opportunities that resonate with their aspirations, VIRA bridges a critical gap in career development. It fosters confidence by giving users agency over their choices rather than dictating paths they "should" pursue.

How It Works:
Simplified users answer questions about their values (e.g., work-life balance, lifestyle preferences) during onboarding. Then it curates personalized recommendations for networking opportunities, local events, and internships/jobs aligned with their goals.

User Navigation:

• Swipe Right: Saves opportunities (e.g., networking connections, events, jobs) to a "Favorites" folder for later review.
  
• Swipe Left: Archives opportunities into a folder accessible from the home page for future consideration.
  

Users can explore detailed descriptions of each opportunity, refine searches using filters (e.g., industry or location), and take action through provided links. Data is sourced from official college announcements, Handshake postings, and other vetted platforms.

Built With

• figma
• notion
• procreate