MegaByte, SAIT’s student-led technology club, found its footing again with a four-person women-in-tech team facing a major transition. With most of the previous executive team graduated, little support and no prior experience, the group had to build credibility, momentum and a sense of community that felt more like family than a student group the club could carry forward. 

The values behind that work started with the people who rebuilt it. MegaByte was founded by a collective that wanted to create new opportunities for SAIT students to learn, collaborate and grow on and beyond campus. The team included Natalie Yeung (Diploma, Software Development ’25), Event Coordinator; Ashleen Sidhu (Diploma, Software Development ’25), Vice-President; Nida Aamir (Bachelor of Technology – Software Development ’26), who served as Graphic Designer and now serves as President; and Charlene Viray (Diploma, Information Systems Security ’26), who was Marketing Director and now serves as the club’s Executive Advisor. Together, they pushed forward unique, innovative ideas at SAIT that created a ripple effect. 

“The tech clubs before MegaByte, a lot of them kept dying out,” says Aamir. “But this is one of the bigger ones that has survived.” 

A turning point in MegaByte’s re-emergence was a hackathon hosted in partnership with Enactus SAIT, a student-led social entrepreneurship club. It was the first of its kind to take place on campus in years. The team started unsure whether students would show up. By the end, they had to close registration and bring in more judges at the last minute so more students could take part. The event brought together more than 60 technology and business students in cross-functional teams, supported by more than 17 industry mentors and judges.  

“It was really rewarding to see them collaborate,” says Viray. “Just seeing them share their different perspectives and challenge each other. Business and tech are so hand-in-hand as well. There's so much they can learn from each other. A lot of tech students need to learn how to pitch ideas and build a proper business model from business students. And then business students have expressed how cool it was to build something in a day.” 

Building that kind of programming took more than enthusiasm. As a small team with limited resources, the club worked through its networks contact by contact and made a strong case for support to the SAIT Students’ Association (Saitsa) to make the hackathon possible. 

"It was a huge risk. But, we were able to get funding from them to cover the costs of the entire event," says Aamir. "They took a chance on us, and we did it. After the event, everyone started reaching out — from student clubs to faculty to other companies — to support future events." 

Having grown support, MegaByte is now planning bigger events that aim to help students become more well-rounded beyond solely the tech realm as they navigate opportunities. Aamir and Viray also continue to keep students plugged into the club’s Discord channel and social media, where they share mentorship, scholarships and job leads. 

Looking ahead, MegaByte is committed to building a technology club that continues to grow and evolve, with future leaders carrying its momentum forward.  

“We want to build something that stays,” says Aamir. “To create a source that helps students get a step into the industry, or not just go to class and go home. We really want to build a club that outlasts us, has a legacy beyond us and has a more cemented place within SAIT.”