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1st Place STADIO SOIT Hackathon 2026

Issued by Otinga.io

This certificate is awarded to recognise outstanding achievement in securing 1st place, as part of Team Annie, in the STADIO School of IT Student Innovation Hackathon 2026. This accolade underscores the recipient's exemplary display of innovation, technical proficiency, and teamwork. Participants demonstrated their ability to source and solve a genuine business problem using AI during an intense 48-hour collaborative event held simultaneously across STADIO's Centurion, Durbanville, Musgrave and Waterfall campuses. The achievement reflects strong skills in rapid prototyping, deployment, and adaptability under high-pressure conditions. This recognition was earned through rigorous evaluation by a panel of industry expert judges, assessing technical implementation, business viability, innovation, presentation, and collaboration. The recipient's dedication to collaborative problem-solving and practical impact sets a benchmark for future cohorts. The accomplishment highlights exceptional talent and the ability to turn real business problems into working solutions.

Recipient: Megan Johnston
Issued On: Aug. 27, 2026, 6:23 p.m.
Certificate ID: 6fe57ad7-61e2-4423-b3e4-e02b5ec1c6d7

Earning Criteria

  • Top-Ranked Solution
    • Achieved the highest combined score of any team at the STADIO School of IT Student Innovation Hackathon 2026, working to the theme Using AI to solve real business problems.
    • Ranked first on the criteria applied equally to every team: technical implementation (35), business viability (20), innovation and creativity (20), presentation and communication (15), and team collaboration (10).
  • Technical Implementation and AI Integration
    • Built and deployed a live, demonstrable AI-powered prototype (not a static mock-up or slideware) inside the 48-hour event window.
    • Delivered code quality, system architecture, and AI integration that judges assessed as the strongest in the field, evidenced through the working prototype and the submitted code repository.
  • Business Viability and Original Thinking
    • Sourced and defined a genuine real-world business problem well suited to an AI solution, then solved it end to end.
    • Approached that problem in a way judges rated as original compared with common or expected solutions, with clear potential for practical business impact.
  • Excellence Under Pressure
    • Submitted the full deliverable set by the deadline: a deployed working prototype, a four-slide pitch deck, a code repository with a README, and a written AI-use disclosure statement.
    • Sustained quality across all 48 hours of an in-person build running concurrently at four STADIO campuses.
  • Outstanding Team Collaboration
    • Worked as a team of four to five students with meaningful contribution from every member.
    • Took on mentor guidance and adapted the solution as priorities shifted through the build.
  • Commanding Final Pitch
    • Presented the solution live to a panel of industry expert judges with clarity, persuasiveness, and professionalism.
    • Defended technical decisions, business relevance, and next steps under questioning.
  • Responsible AI Practice
    • Observed data privacy and responsible AI principles throughout the build.
    • Documented how AI was used in the submission through a written AI-use disclosure statement.