This post is part of a weekly series in which we get to know Sifties.
Sophie Saouma is a Solutions Engineer who has been with Sift Science for five months. If she could time travel anywhere, it would be the future, because she wants to see what advancements the world has made.
What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?
Coffee. It’s a habit that I picked up from my mom, who would have three cups every morning. A lot of my interactions are around coffee. A cup of coffee is a true joy.
Who do you admire the most?
My mom. She was the epitome of being a really nice person and took the time to get to know everyone in the community. She knew every person at the supermarket – she even got them gifts for their birthdays! Not only that, but she was also really smart, kept on top of the news, and was a phenomenal baker.
Do you speak another language?
My parents are from Lebanon where the three official languages are Arabic, English, and French — so I speak French at home. I picked up ASL (American Sign Language) from a summer job and learned Arabic in college.
What was your first job?
I was a barista at a coffee shop on my college campus called the Motley Coffeehouse. I wanted to work at a place that fostered community, and it was really a safe haven of sorts. I got to learn a lot about coffee and worked there all four years of college!
I hear you rock climb!
I got into rock climbing when I was twelve years old. One of the gym teachers at my school was a rock climber and started a club after school. I’ve taken a lot of hiatuses over the years, but when I moved to the Bay Area and realized I needed to make friends. I found a lot of my close friends here through rock climbing. I also worked at Mission Cliffs for a while where I taught top rope and very basic climbing classes — it felt really good to get involved in the community.