Teammate Tuesday: Sarah Greisdorf
Sarah Greisdorf, Head of the BostonHacks Marketing Team, is a sophomore at BU studying Computer Science.
How long have you been on the organizing team and what made you join?
This will be my second year on the organizing team. I joined because I started going to hackathons in tenth grade and I really enjoyed them. I decided when I was in high school that I really wanted to be on an organizing team because it seemed really fun to be behind the scenes, getting to see how everything works and making it happen. Then, I got to BU and within the first couple weeks, I got connected to Lucas, our former director, and then started coming to meetings.
What do you enjoy most about BostonHacks?
Since we’re planning BostonHacks all year round, it’s awesome that we have such a vibrant community. The people and the relationships I’ve made are definitely the best part of BostonHacks because without them we wouldn't be able to put on such a great event.
What’s your favorite memory from BostonHacks?
I would say the Women in Tech Meetup, where we all decorated cupcakes. We had some great discussions about women in STEM and I always find these meetups to be extremely energizing; I hope that it was the same for all the hackers who attended.
What do you think you’ve gained from being a BostonHacks organizer?
First and foremost, I’ve gained a community. When I was in high school, I didn’t know anyone who was into computer science. And then when I came to BU, I had an instant community of people who are passionate about the same things I am. But beyond that, I gained event planning skills and learning to communicate with other people. I definitely have grown in my leadership skills too.
Do you have any advice for women interested in getting involved with CS?
There are many resources out there for anyone looking to get started. For example, if you go to BU, we have a Women in Computer Science Club and a Girls Who Code Club, and I’m sure that many other schools have an equivalent club and I totally recommend joining. However, one of the things that I find with a lot of “Women in STEM” initiatives is that there’s a focus on empowering women but not on learning skills. So, while you can be built up and be confident in yourself, you’re not really learning anything. So, I recommend using something like Codecademy and start learning the basics. The longer you are in it and the more you learn, you’ll learn what you love. For me, I really like computer science but I found that I also really like the intersection of entrepreneurship and computer science, like User Experience and User Interface.
Do you have any thoughts on the current state of computer science or technology?
A lot of computer science degree programs stress heavily the theory behind computer science and specifically programming, but what I find really interesting is UI/UX. Even if you know how to code very well, if you’re not creating something people can actually use, then it’s not really a useful product. I think many Computer Science students are really lacking in a design education, especially a design education that puts the person that you’re building for in the front and center. I don’t think that it should just be the designers, the product managers, and the project managers who are working on it. I think all students, regardless of their passions, should find ways to look at the human experience of it all, because at the end of the day most people build products for people and need to consider them first.
What is your life motto?
Fake it till you make it. #WomenInSTEM #WomenDeservePockets
What would you do if you weren’t doing CS?
I would do political science, because I like the idea of making an impact on the world. Also, a surgeon.
Do you have any secret talents?
I have my black belt in Taekwon-do.
What’s your favorite potato product?
It’s gnocchi!
Where would you move, if you could move anywhere right now?
I would say Tokyo, because Japan is a big tech hub and I think I would learn a lot.
If you woke up an animal tomorrow, which animal would you want it to be?
Well, I like to keep busy, so maybe a beaver because they build dams. I’d like to be a cute beaver.
How long would you survive in a zombie apocalypse?
I think it would be a Rue situation, where I would hide in a tree until one day I die. So maybe like a month.
Any final thoughts?
I just wanted to share about my start-up, it’s called Holdette. We help women find pockets with functional pockets. Please check us out at www.holdette.com and follow us on Instagram @holdette. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out, and I look forward to seeing you all at the next BostonHacks!

