Two teams of Manx cyber-students from the Isle of Man Code Club recently travelled to Manchester to participate in the tenth edition of the CyberCenturion National Finals.
The teams, having taken part many times before, were competing against thirteen other teams from across the UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories, all of whom qualified by being the best in their categories out of almost 300 teams.
CyberCenturion is a national cyber education initiative for 12- to 18-year-olds across the British Isles, and is designed to excite, educate, and motivate students to pursue further education and careers in STEM and cybersecurity.
National Finals
The National Final contest is split into two broad categories: Senior (ten teams) and Junior (five teams). 2024 saw two Code Club teams entering the final, with ‘CyberAces’ returning once again in the senior category, and ‘I am Root’ returning to the junior category.
CyberCenturion X was a bittersweet moment for CyberAces as, after taking part together for six years, it was their last time before heading their separate ways into higher education.
For I am Root, however, this was only their second time taking part; next year they will become a senior team.
The hard work put in by the two teams across the past six and two years respectively has not gone to waste, with both teams having great success at the finals, both earning First Place in their categories.
Considering that their competition was the best students from across the country, this is yet another prestigious accolade for both teams.
The teams are composed of four Manx students as follows:
- CyberAces: Aaron Rielly; Arthur Owenson; Luka Warren; Siddharth Shakthivel Muthu-Pandian.
- I Am Root: Alexander Owenson; Brodie Millar; Flynt Owens; Liam Carey.
They were accompanied by four Code Club volunteers: Adam Drummond, Owen Cutajar, Chevonne O’Boyle and Michael Farnworth.
I am Root, Junior champions. L-R: Alexander O; Flynt O; Brodie M; Liam C
Owen Cutajar, Chair of Code Club said, “We’re delighted to be able to support local talent in the Isle of Man and give students the opportunity to compete internationally.
“We’re keen to encourage and assist any student with an interest in Computing and Cybersecurity and will soon be looking to form next year’s teams, so get in touch with Code Club if you would like to join, learn, and compete.’
“Once again, we would like to extend a special thank you to Digital Isle of Man for supporting our travel”, he continued.
“Their support is crucial to our running this initiative, which in turn promotes lifelong digital learning on the Island and is something we are extremely grateful for each year”.
Every week, Code Club hosts sessions to provide a space for students to learn about STEM topics.
For more information about the club or CyberCenturion at Code Club, contact hello@codeclub.im, visit their Facebook page (Isle of Man Code Club) or drop-in to any of their Saturday sessions at King William’s College, from 4-6pm.
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