10 Minutes With Intern: Sadie Sider-Echenberg

This summer, Sadie Sider-Echenberg brought her passion for problem-solving and teamwork to RedCloud as a Computer Science intern from the University of South Florida. A dedicated NCAA Division I soccer player with international experience playing professionally in France, Sadie was drawn to RedCloud’s boutique consulting environment, where collaboration and hands-on learning thrive. During her internship, she tackled real-world challenges, such as creating a live Power BI dashboard, and gained valuable insights into the fast-paced and dynamic nature of the consulting industry. Beyond her technical skills, Sadie’s adaptable spirit and love for the Pacific Northwest reflect the vibrant energy she brought to the team.

What attracted you to our internship program, and how does it align with your career goals?

Many things attracted me to RedCloud’s internship program! I was especially excited about the opportunity to join a smaller, boutique consulting firm, where I could work closely with others, take on meaningful projects, and truly learn from the people around me. As someone who has played team sports my entire life, I’m drawn to environments where collaboration and learning are integral to the daily experience, and RedCloud stood out as a place that truly values these aspects. What also stood out to me is how well the consulting industry aligns with the reasons I chose to study Computer Science- my interests in problem-solving and working creatively.

On a personal note, I spent last summer in Seattle playing for a semi-professional soccer team and fell in love with the Pacific Northwest. It’s not only an amazing place to live—with all the outdoor activities and great people—but is, of course, a huge hub for tech, which makes it an exciting place to be at this early stage of my career.

Where do you go to school, and what are you studying?

I attend the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa, Florida, where I will be entering my senior year this fall and studying Computer Science. I also compete in the NCAA DI with the women’s soccer team!

What’s something new you’ve learned about the consulting industry that surprised you?

I think how big of a role recruitment plays in consulting and how quickly projects and proposals come and go has surprised me. Working in the Bellevue office, I see how recruiters constantly work to find new projects and the right people to work on each one. It fascinates me how the industry is so fast-paced and constantly changing.

What's one thing people don't know about you that they would be surprised to discover?

I played professional soccer for Le Havre FC in France during the 2022-2023 season. That year, I did online school to continue my degree. Living, playing, and studying in France was a life-changing experience. Among many things, that year taught me to be adaptable and open-minded, which I’ve tried to take with me into all areas of my life.

What project or task have you worked on that you’re most proud of during your time here?

Recently, I collaborated with Beau (Platte) and Benny (Swedberg) on a task where I assisted in creating a Power BI dashboard to display findings based on the results of a survey. Beau used the dashboard as a presentation tool to display metrics in real-time as the audience took a survey. It was one of my first experiences with Power BI, and figuring out how to synchronize it with Microsoft Forms and adapt to live updates was a challenging, yet fun, problem to solve. It was very cool to work on a project I knew would be used ‘in real life’ and gain experience bridging business problems with software solutions. I was very happy to hear that the presentation went well, and I played a small part in its success.

What’s one fun or unexpected fact about you that people may be surprised by?

I played rugby in high school and loved it. I think people may be surprised by this because I’m (not quite) 5’3.

Quick picks: Coffee or tea? Early bird or night owl? City life or outdoor escape?

Coffee!! I also love tea (especially Matcha), but being a college student, I’ve become a bit coffee dependent.

Night owl, but I’m trying to change that.

I like both, which is a big reason I love Seattle.

Share one of your favorite quotes.

It’s a long one, but one of my favorite quotes is ‘The Man in the Arena’ by Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”