Landsdowne, PA – November 20, 2025

Two teams of students representing Penn Wood High School recently competed in a Microsoft Hackathon event. Facing a competitive field totaling 20 teams, the Penn Wood representatives distinguished themselves with strong performances, including a top-five finish.

The event provided students with an opportunity to apply real-world problem-solving and technical skills in a time-constrained environment.

The Penn Wood team of Ali Hanaylioglu, Ismael Torres, and Mohamed Farhan secured an impressive 4th-place finish overall.

Additionally, the team of Raleeyah Little and Idriys Jones put in a solid effort, finishing 14th in a field of competitors.

Participating in events of this caliber serves as a significant building block for competing students, offering exposure to professional standards in computer science and engineering. 10th grade Ishmael Torres said, “I really enjoyed being a part of this event and it was really cool to meet people that actually work for Microsoft.”

The district commends these students for representing Penn Wood in such a competitive environment. The experience served as motivation for the students, who left the event already planning for next year.