UNIverse

Inspiration

As current UMD students, we wanted a way to build meaningful connections with alumni who are already making an impact in their fields. Networking can be intimidating, especially for first-gen and underrepresented students. We created this platform to make mentorship, career guidance, and community more accessible

What it does

Create personalized profiles (major, graduation year, interests, bio, etc.)

Browse and connect with peers and alumni

Search for people based on name and graduation year

Receive mentorship, career advice, or opportunities from alumni

How we built it

Using JSX, Firebase, HTML, CSS

Challenges we ran into

Merge conflicts and Git branching issues

Creating and managing profile data

Handling navigation and routing across pages

Designing a clean UI that stays consistent

Time constraints and dividing tasks between teammates

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Built a fully functioning networking platform in a short time

Successfully implemented profile creation and login pages

Collaborated efficiently using GitHub

Learned new tools and frameworks rapidly

Designed a solution that could genuinely benefit the UMD community

What we learned

How to collaborate using Git branches and resolve conflicts

Strengthening skills in React, JSX, and state management

Importance of designing user-friendly interfaces

Real-world teamwork and communication

How to plan features and iterate quickly

What's next for the network

Messaging or chat features

Alumni verification system

Search and filter improvements

Event posting and RSVP functionality

More detailed user dashboards

Built With

• jsx