Katrina Secures Top-Three Finish in AWS Healthcare Challenge

Katrina, a HNC Computer Science student at City of Glasgow College, has achieved an impressive third-place finish in the AWS Healthcare Challenge, delivered in collaboration with Amazon Web Services.

The competition challenges students to design and prototype solutions to real healthcare problems using cloud technology, combining technical ability with user-focused thinking.

For Katrina, taking part was about stepping outside her comfort zone.

“I decided to take part because I wanted to challenge myself. I’d never done anything like this before, so I saw it as a chance to learn something new and gain experience.”

Instead of rushing straight into development, she began by brainstorming ideas and selecting one she was genuinely excited to build. Choosing a topic she already understood allowed her to focus on creating a strong application rather than navigating an entirely new subject area at the same time.

She says the most rewarding part was watching her idea come to life as features began working the way she imagined. Refining the user experience proved more challenging, with “a lot of trial and error” required to make the app feel fluid and intuitive.

The experience strengthened her time management, planning and UI thinking, while also giving her valuable hands-on experience with AWS cloud services.

“The challenge pushed me to think more practically about technology.”

When the results were announced, Katrina was both surprised and delighted to place third.

“I was really happy and surprised. I didn’t expect to place with so many amazing apps in the competition.”

The achievement has boosted her confidence and reinforced that she is on the right career path.

“Placing third made me feel more sure of my abilities.”

Encouraging other students to take similar opportunities, she adds:

“You don’t need to make it perfect — you just need to be willing to try, learn and stick with it.”

We’re proud of Katrina’s achievement and look forward to seeing how she continues to develop her skills and make her mark in the world of technology.