Kari Groszewska, 21
Since creating her first Hannah Montana fan site in 2012, Kari Groszewska has had a passion for technology. Early on, Kari saw the potential of technology to impact issues that were deeply important to her, and says she does her best to “ensure whatever I work on has that same effect, whether on myself or others.”
Graduating from high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic left Kari itching for interaction with her peers. She found the community she needed when one of her friends introduced her to her university’s hackathon, VandyHacks. At the event, her team was matched with a local center for victims of sexual assault. The experience of collaborating with other hackers to create a project with a real-world impact inspired her desire to organize events like VandyHacks for her community.
By her second semester at Vanderbilt University, she had joined the VandyHacks organizing team as a Director, and has since served as President and Senior Marketing Advisor. Kari says, “Getting to flourish into a leadership position as a freshman with the guidance of the experienced organizers around me taught me the power of mentorship and provided me with the community I really needed.” The feedback they received after bringing VandyHacks back to an in-person format showed her just how important the hacker community was to fellow Vanderbilt students. VandyHacks is certainly in good hands, as Kari has helped select “incredible organizers who share my passion for technology and drive to provide amazing opportunities for others.”
Inspired by her experience organizing VandyHacks, Kari decided to become a Major League Hacking (MLH) Coach. In the role, she has grown as both an organizer and a hacker in her own right. Kari has since participated in WiCHacks, UA Innovate, and several VandyHacks events. Currently, she hosts monthly mobile and accessibility workshops at Global Hack Week events. She has also stayed active in Vanderbilt’s broader tech community, striving to bridge gaps in access and share her love of technology with others through her work as the Vice President of Programming and the Grace Hopper Coordinator with Vanderbilt’s chapter of Women In Computing. Kari believes the hacker community is about much more than hacking, and says that “learning, growing, and developing technically or otherwise can come from so many other aspects of this community.”
Kari recently landed an internship with Apple, where she will work through the summer as an Watch Automation Engineering Intern, and she continues to serve as an MLH Coach. Through workshops, hackathons, and community events, Kari relentlessly shares her passion for technology.
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Kari Groszewska, 21
Since creating her first Hannah Montana fan site in 2012, Kari Groszewska has had a passion for technology. Early on, Kari saw the potential of technology to impact issues that were deeply important to her, and says she does her best to “ensure whatever I work on has that same effect, whether on myself or others.”
Graduating from high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic left Kari itching for interaction with her peers. She found the community she needed when one of her friends introduced her to her university’s hackathon, VandyHacks. At the event, her team was matched with a local center for victims of sexual assault. The experience of collaborating with other hackers to create a project with a real-world impact inspired her desire to organize events like VandyHacks for her community.
By her second semester at Vanderbilt University, she had joined the VandyHacks organizing team as a Director, and has since served as President and Senior Marketing Advisor. Kari says, “Getting to flourish into a leadership position as a freshman with the guidance of the experienced organizers around me taught me the power of mentorship and provided me with the community I really needed.” The feedback they received after bringing VandyHacks back to an in-person format showed her just how important the hacker community was to fellow Vanderbilt students. VandyHacks is certainly in good hands, as Kari has helped select “incredible organizers who share my passion for technology and drive to provide amazing opportunities for others.”
Inspired by her experience organizing VandyHacks, Kari decided to become a Major League Hacking (MLH) Coach. In the role, she has grown as both an organizer and a hacker in her own right. Kari has since participated in WiCHacks, UA Innovate, and several VandyHacks events. Currently, she hosts monthly mobile and accessibility workshops at Global Hack Week events. She has also stayed active in Vanderbilt’s broader tech community, striving to bridge gaps in access and share her love of technology with others through her work as the Vice President of Programming and the Grace Hopper Coordinator with Vanderbilt’s chapter of Women In Computing. Kari believes the hacker community is about much more than hacking, and says that “learning, growing, and developing technically or otherwise can come from so many other aspects of this community.”
Kari recently landed an internship with Apple, where she will work through the summer as an Watch Automation Engineering Intern, and she continues to serve as an MLH Coach. Through workshops, hackathons, and community events, Kari relentlessly shares her passion for technology.
Quick Facts
Links
