The Swift Student Challenge

A little over a year ago, I was working on a project with my friend and fellow developer, Joel. We often talked about all the opportunities Apple offers students, and our excitement eventually inspired us to create a YouTube channel called Swift Crew.

Our goal was to share our passion for Swift development with the Spanish-speaking community. Through the channel, we talked not only about programming and everything surrounding the Apple developer ecosystem, but also about the experiences and opportunities Apple makes available to students. One of those opportunities was the Swift Student Challenge.

I had heard about the challenge before, but I did not take it seriously until I saw talented Mexican students, people just like me, making it all the way to Apple Park. From that moment on, I spent the rest of the year waiting for the next challenge building dozens of apps.

When the time finally came, I applied with an app that used Core ML to create a small “I Spy” game designed to help children connect with and explore the world around them.

But I was not accepted.

A goal that had become part of my daily life, something I thought about every morning when I woke up, suddenly felt as though it had slipped through my hands. I was deeply discouraged. It was difficult to lose something I wanted so badly without receiving any explanation or feedback that could help me understand what had gone wrong or how I could improve.

Then, I came across a LinkedIn post by Paul Hudson inviting people involved in developer communities to apply for an event at Apple Park. I immediately thought about iTec, the student community I founded, and submitted my application without hesitation.

San Francisco

I was accepted.

I honestly could not believe it.

Even though my chance to visit Apple Park during WWDC week had slipped away, another opportunity had found its way to me. I would still get to visit the place I had wanted to see for so long, but this time with a completely different purpose: learning how to improve the community I had been building.

I talked to my parents, and together we found flights to San Francisco.

Being in Silicon Valley makes it hard not to think about leaving your own mark there. I do not necessarily mean living there. I mean creating something that can have the same kind of impact as the startups you see advertised everywhere, or the huge technology companies whose products are part of your daily life, whether through the tools you use to build software or the phone in your pocket.

That night, I arrived in Cupertino and walked into the Tantau developer building. I could not believe I was seeing, in person, people who had previously only appeared on my LinkedIn homepage.

Paul Hudson was there. There were Swift Student Challenge winners, other Mexican developers who had inspired me, and so many people whose work I already admired.

I met incredible people like Tray, Peter, and Joseph, the founder of Step Into Vision.

More than anything, I learned how to make a community stronger. I discovered new Apple resources that could help us grow, and I met people who had started with ideas similar to mine and had managed to build amazing communities around Swift.

The stories people shared and the talks they gave were genuinely inspiring. Being surrounded by people who cared so deeply about helping others learn, build, and connect made me feel even more excited about everything we were creating back home.

What's next?

In just a few weeks, I will be back at university. Even though I will no longer be the official president of iTec, I plan to support and push this community forward more than ever before.

And one thing is certain: next year, I will be back at Apple Park as a Swift Student Challenge winner.

Take my word for it.