Involvements

LA Hacks

As a Hack Operations (HackOps) Organizer for LA Hacks, I manage the judge experience and organize engaging events and workshops.

Startup Work

I developed and launched in-app messaging features for the Postcard app earlier this year.

Mentorship

I am a Mentorship Chair for Upsilon Pi Epsilon (UPE), ACM's Computing Honors Society. Through weekly tutoring and workshops every other week, I get to help students develop both technically and professionally.

Music

I am a member of UCLA's Flute Choir where I play Bass Flute, Alto Flute, and C Flute. I also have performed with the Game Music Ensemble and Bruin Chamber Musicians.

Highlights

John Connell

Summer Plans

Thank you to the friends and family who has supported me on this journey! I'm so excited to see what this summer has in store.

John Connell

TreeHacks 2025 Win

Too often, AI is used to give answers, but true learning happens when we explain concepts ourselves. We wanted to flip AI on its head, so we built an AI-powered duck. Instead of providing answers, the duck learns from you, challenges your explanations, and asks follow-up questions to deepen your understanding. Won a prize for "Best Use of ElevenLabs API" at TreeHacks 2025.

John Connell

Postcard "Intern Spotlight" Post

Featured on a LinkedIn post for contributions to in-app messaging over the last quarter. We are so excited to launch messaging very soon.

John Connell

Palantir Defense Technology Fellowship

Stoked for the opportunity to use Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform to automate supply delivery for unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). My goal is to enhance operational efficiency while minimizing the need for human involvement in potentially hazardous environments.

John Connell

City of Los Angeles Recognition

Invited by the City of Los Angeles to receive certificate for contributions to the Hillside Prioritization Street Application. The HSPA is being used by the city to determine where to invest millions for urban planning.

John Connell

BSA Learning for Life Leadership Award

Honored with the "Learning for Life Leadership Award" for my achievements as Chief of the VCME Post 911, including organizing events for local underserved communities, running first aid tents at dozens of events, and establishing a surgical shadowing program for high schoolers.