Hudson Root
September – October 2018
Back in 2012, Hudson Root got a call from his grandmother. He was only 12, but he was already her tech guy, helping her with computer and cellphone problems. Hudson began helping some of his grandma’s friends and he started thinking about how many seniors hadn’t grown up with apps, laptops, or cellphones. Hudson—a recent high school graduate—launched geeksforseniors.com, to connect teens with seniors in need of free technical support.
Question: What is your connection to Nevada?
Hudson Root: I was born in Malibu, California, and my family moved to Henderson when I was 2 years old. I’m 18 now, so I’ve been here for 16 years.
Question: What’s your favorite thing about Nevada?
Hudson Root: The weather, just not in the summer. It’s 110 degrees most days. If you have no sunshades in place, stuff will melt in the car.
Question: Tell us a little about yourself.
Hudson Root: I grew up in Henderson with my mom and dad, my 14-year-old brother, and my 10-year-old sister. Our older sister is currently living in France working on her
Ph.D. I was home-schooled through high school and am just starting my freshman year at Southern Methodist University in Dallas to study business and computer science. I like working with computers and cars, both old and new.
Question: If you could tell people just one thing about Nevada, what would it be?
Hudson Root: Definitely visit Vegas at least once in your life; it’s a lot of fun. We still visit occasionally. It loses some of its luster if you live here long enough, but it’s always exciting.
Question: Do you have a favorite quote or motto?
Hudson Root: “Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive.” —Elbert Hubbard.
I tend to be a little quiet, but I can be pretty silly, too.
Question: Are there any notable Nevadans who have influenced you?
Hudson Root: I would say professional baseball player Bryce Harper. He grew up in Las Vegas and is now one of the best players in major league baseball.
Question: What made you who you are today?
Hudson Root: Growing up in Nevada, you have to have a little toughness to survive the summers. And 100 years ago, the ranchers and animals needed to have extra grit to make it here.
Question: What do you see as the future of Geeks For Seniors and for you?
Hudson Root: I will probably continue participating with Geeks For Seniors during summer breaks. My brother Remington will continue to work on it and try to get other teens involved. I’m not sure what I want to do, but ultimately it will be something in Silicon Valley working in a tech startup or something like Amazon or Google.