Thank you for sharing your experience! It is exciting to me that someone new to programming was willing to dive in and learn from others through a Hackathon.

There is a DAPP Hackathon happening in Atlanta June 1-2nd if you are interested in learning about developing apps that run on the blockchain. This hackathon is focusing on 3 blockchain technologies, bitcoin, ethereum, or hyperledger. There will be sessions that explain how to successfully write smart contracts on the blockchain.

If you or your others are interested in attending, here is more info:
https://dapphack.devpost.com/

Hope to see you there!