Tech & Innovation Blog

GPT Associates Win Big at +Hackathona PUCRS in Brazil

ADP’s Global Hackathon is an exciting time for all ADP associates to be a part of hands-on innovation, no matter where they are. Hackathons serve as a way for participants to dive deep into their creative spirits and innovate in a start-up, sprint-like atmosphere. Beyond ADP, numerous hackathons cover a wide gamut of subjects. Two GPT associates recently shined, coming in second place, at the +Hackathona PUCRS, a 24-hour hackathon in Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) University.

Manoella J., Associate Developer, and Waldyr S., Software Development Intern, partnered on an exciting top-of-mind topic for our products: accessibility. The theme of the event was creating a healthier and more accessible internet. The two focused on mental health and created a browser extension that identifies offensive words and replaces them with their definition, reframing context and reducing negative mental health impacts. We spoke with Manoella and Waldyr to learn more about their experiences participating in Hackathon.

Q: What encouraged you to sign up?

Manoella: I am a student who enjoys problem-solving at PUCRS, and I saw the event’s publicity. As someone who’s always looking for opportunities to innovate, I signed up!

Waldyr: My friends were interested in participating, and we got together to form a team. I hadn’t participated in a Hackathon before, so there was a lot of excitement (and anxiety!).

Q: What was the most difficult part? How did you overcome the challenges?

Manoella: The most challenging part was adapting the extension to change the word on external sites. To overcome this obstacle, we focused on researching bibliographies and collaborating with the IT community to find a possible solution.

Waldyr: Because it’s an extension, my team thought it would be easier, but we faced a few challenges. First, it wasn’t easy calling the API that identifies hate speech, and it was hard to know exactly which words we should replace. We also had to access the User Interface (UI) to send automatically for analysis, which took a large amount of time. We made sure to reach out for help from other developers, addressing the deeper issues. Some tools we used included AWS, Google Perspective API, Python, and JavaScript. My team was proud to develop a creative solution that doesn’t change the meaning of the sentences—but still makes sentences less negative for the users, creating a healthier web experience. 

Manoella (third from the right)  and Waldyr (second from the right) celebrate with their team. 

Q: How did you feel when you heard that you won the challenge in second place?

Manoella: I was pleased and proud of our team. We worked hard for 24 hours to deliver a well-structured, efficient and viable project. It was great to get recognized for sure!

Waldyr: It was a surprise! Even though we believed in our solution, there are other teams that presented great ideas with great experiences as well. We’ve learned a lot connecting with everyone. On top of that, this was our first time participating in the Hackathon and our results exceeded my own expectations. 

Q: How did ADP support your participation throughout the Hackathon? 

Manoella: At ADP, I have daily contact with good development practices, code optimization, and code versioning—these helped maintain clean and well-presented code for our team. The Hackathon highlights the value of teamwork for me!

Waldyr: When I joined ADP, I learned about agile methodologies—we use them to organize and divide tasks. By understanding these methods at work, I brought what already knew to Hackathon. I’m grateful for all the support I’ve gotten along the way. Here we are, so glad to share our story with fellow associates! 

Q: Participating in Hackathon can be intimidating. What advice do you have for future participants?

Manoella: Be creative and trust your solution. Creativity is essential to developing a solution that draws attention to your project. Always believe in your idea, work, and team’s dedication!

Waldyr: Everyone should try it at least once! It’s quite different from what I imagined, doing it with friends there for the same reason as you. We went to learn, have fun and meet new people—reaching second place was a bonus. 

Congratulations again to Manoella and Waldyr! 

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