Community Member Spotlight: Maria Shapiro
Meet Maria Shapiro, Co-Director of Operations at HackGT. When she’s not managing the logistics for HackGT’s virtual and in-person experiences, you can find Maria cruising around the city, playing video games on her Xbox and PC, or tending to her plants at home.
Maria enjoying the outdoors, right in time for sunset.
As part of our Community Member Spotlight series, we caught up with Maria about what excites her the most about what she’s studying at Georgia Tech, something about her that’s not listed in her resume, a favorite project she’s worked on, and one thing she’d tell others about Tech Square ATL (TSQATL) Social Club.
Maria and fellow HackGT team members during HackGT 6, 2019’s “Into the Rabbit Hole” hackathon.
Q: What excites you the most about what you're studying in school?
A: I love seeing how rapidly technology changes before my own eyes! Georgia Tech teaches us skills that transcend time, such as data structures and algorithms, and equips us with the tools necessary to tackle any new React library or programming framework. I'm excited to graduate and be prepared for anything a company can throw at me.
Q: What's something about you that's not on your resume?
A: I am super into business! I unfortunately couldn't explore my business side as much as I wanted to, but I have a strong affinity for personal finance, investing, and entrepreneurship. I am building out my portfolio now and can't want to expand it more once I graduate.
HackGT 6: “Into the Rabbit Hole” in full swing.
Q: What's your favorite project with HackGT so far and why?
A: HackGT 6! This was our in-person hackathon in 2019 where chaos always ensued! Whether it was checking in participants for registration, coordinating with sponsors, or mapping out line logistics for food and Boba, there is always something to do with some of your best friends on campus. I remember driving with another exec member to get 600+ containers of Boba and freaking out if we were about to spill all the Boba on I-75 because I forgot to properly close the back door [of the car].
Q: What do you enjoy doing during your time off?
A: Aimlessly driving, gaming (PC and Xbox), tending plants, people watching in the city.
Q: What's one thing you would tell people about Tech Square ATL Social Club?
A: If you want to see where all the off-campus innovation happens, Tech Square ATL Social Club is where all the big boy clubs like HackGT and Bits of Good meet! This super comfortable work space is where so many of Georgia Tech's great ideas happen.
Did You Know?
HackGT is a Georgia Tech undergraduate student-run 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. They organize hackathons that bring collegiate and high school students together with the goal of bringing creative participant software or hardware ideas to life.
To make these technology innovation-focused experiential events as immersive as possible, the team at HackGT also builds the technology behind their hackathons. They make their solutions available through open source projects on GitHub.
What was the last hackathon you participated in? Or, is there an idea you’re looking to bring to life this year? Let us know in the comments below.