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Over Valentine’s Day weekend, two of 911����’s tech communities joined forces to host , a collaborative hackathon and capture-the-flag (CTF) competition. Event organizers leaned into the holiday theme, joking that “we fell in love at first sight and became one!” The result was a joint event that brought together more than 500 students from more than 30 colleges and universities for hacking, learning, and community.

In addition to the CTF competition, the three‑day, 72-hour event featured workshops, panels, and networking opportunities with sponsors such as EY, AWS, Microsoft, Peraton, and Red Bull. 

And this was the first gathering since PatriotHacks went Major League. PatriotHacks is now designated as a Major League Hacking (MLH) event. MLH, the official student hackathon league supporting collegiate hackathons in the United States, helps empower students to promote innovation, form communities, and teach technical skills. 

For some participants, the appeal of the Valentine’s weekend event was the chance to build and learn freely while having fun. 

, an information sciences and technology (IT) major described the CTF challenge as “kind of like a treasure hunt.” She said she valued the industry exposure and took the opportunity to speak with representatives from Amazon and Microsoft.

emphasized the creative freedom that hackathons offer, saying, “You can make what you want and learn the skills that you’re interested in.” 

Senior IT major was motivated to attend the hackathon because of the panel on women working in STEM hosted by Microsoft on Saturday. The panel’s emphasis on soft skills and growth mindset broadened her understanding of what success in cybersecurity requires, she said. 

Sophomore management and information systems major in the Costello College of Business Lara Miran said hearing of panelists’ journeys helped her imagine new futures for herself in roles such as product or project management. 

Cyber security engineering student highlighted the career benefits of participating in a hackathon. “It’s a great resume builder,” he said. 

By merging two student‑run hackathon communities into one high‑energy, holiday‑themed event, HackFax x PatriotHacks 2026 delivered more than just code and competition. It fostered meaningful connections between students and sponsors.