Donna Hay Award for Impact 2022

In memory of our Senior Learning Manager, Donna Hay, this award recognises those who go above and beyond to support Apps for Good students with their learning journey.

Our expert volunteers play a huge role in making a positive impact on our students. Every year we celebrate the industry experts that have made an exceptional contribution.

Aiden's commitment to giving feedback to the teams during our showcase has been incredibly valuable. He reviewed a total of 211 student entries, making him our top shortlister this year. All feedback is collated and sent back to teachers, so every student who enters, whether they are showcased or not, gets bespoke feedback from the process. Thank you Aiden for helping our student teams this year!

Aidan Kelly is a Product Manager at EPAM, a leading digital transformation services and product engineering company. Aidan has spent the last 17 years working in and around mobile apps for Apple and Google, starting his career as a junior analyst writing requirements for new mobile apps for both platforms. Having progressed his career, Aidan is now responsible for idea creation, working with designers and mobile app developers to create the user experience and ensure the customers have what they need when they need it. Aidan is passionate about mentoring and coaching others to develop their own ideas.

How have you supported Apps for Good students this year?

EPAMers were invited to shortlist entries for the Apps for Good showcase. This was the first time I have been involved and thoroughly enjoyed reviewing the exciting product ideas young people had come up with. The shortlisting process was easy to follow and having flexible access to the platform allowed me to review multiple projects around my work commitments.

What did you gain from the experience?

I really enjoyed the shortlisting process. It showed me that there is a huge amount of brilliant ideas out there among our younger people and that if we can continue to nurture them, then the future is in good hands.

How do you think industry engagement benefits young people?

It’s a great opportunity for students to present their ideas and learn more about how their product could work in the real world and how to develop their ideas further. I think by engaging with industry experts, students will be motivated to continue learning more about STEM and potentially consider a future career in technology.

What top tip would you give a young person interested in a career in tech?

There are two tips I was given when starting out that I still use to this day. First, “Stay curious”. Things change very quickly in the tech sector e.g. the technology you're using, the ways of working, what your customers want. Secondly, “In order to stay relevant, you need to take the time to develop yourself”.