Per Scholas Atlanta Hosts HackJam 2025

ATLANTA, GA (July 23, 2025) — From July 10 through July 14, Per Scholas Atlanta brought together its alumni for HackJam 2025, a high-energy, multi-day coding competition designed to accelerate careers and showcase the power of alumni innovation. 

Held as part of Per Scholas’s Career Accelerator initiative, the event offered hands-on mentorship, high-level networking, and a competitive edge for participants.

This year’s HackJam featured a $1,000 grand prize, awarded to the top team after an intensive weekend of collaboration and problem-solving. Throughout the event, alumni teams received mentorship from executive engineers at CGI, helping them refine their ideas and technical execution while gaining valuable industry insight.

The competition was judged by an esteemed panel of leaders from technology and business sectors:

• Brian Turner, Senior Vice President of Consulting Services, CGI

• John Holm, Vice President of Consulting Services, CGI

• Renee Pearson, Rollins, Inc.

• Bernex Richardson, Thrive Collaborative

• Tyrone Washington, Executive Vice President of Information Technology, Per Scholas National Leadership

• Sherri Sims, Managing Director, Per Scholas Atlanta

Their expert feedback and evaluation added a powerful layer of professional relevance to the competition, with each judge bringing years of leadership and technical expertise to the table.

“HackJam is more than just a competition,” said Sherri Sims, Managing Director of Per Scholas Atlanta. “It’s a career catalyst. Our alumni walk away with new skills, stronger networks, and a deeper sense of what’s possible in tech.”

This year’s HackJam builds on the momentum of the Career Accelerator, Per Scholas’s ongoing effort to ensure graduates stay connected, supported, and equipped for long-term success in the tech industry.

Check out event highlights on LinkedIn: Here and Here.