Chronicling My Career
From Printers to Pharma: My Career Story
Scroll down to check out my career journey where I chronicle the milestones that shaped my professional career.
My First Steps ~ Union College
Every career starts somewhere, and mine began during my freshman year at Union College. I joined the college’s Information Technology Services team, an experience that became a cornerstone of my personal and professional growth over three years. I’ll never forget that first nerve-wracking phone call, feeling paralyzed by the thought of stumbling over my words or sounding clueless. Each day brought new challenges—helping students reset passwords, troubleshooting internet issues, fixing the occasional rogue printer.Sophomore summer took an interesting turn when I joined the library’s metadata and cataloging team. My days were spent digitizing books, a meticulous task that taught me the value of attention to detail.Fast forward to the summer of my junior year, I embraced the world of research as a fellow in the economics department. I dove into econometric analysis, exploring how demographic and socioeconomic factors influenced STEM college enrollment. This was my first taste of real research, and it hooked me on the power of data-driven storytelling.Senior year added another unique role: consultant for our Bloomberg Terminal. Guiding students and faculty through research projects showed me how much I enjoyed teaching and sharing knowledge. But it was during my winter break that same year that I took my first real step outside of campus life.
My Leap into Startups ~ Petter
I landed an internship at a fintech startup called Petter in New York City. Petter is a credit card company for pet owners, giving cashback for purchases at affiliated pet shops. Working directly with the CEO was eye-opening; it was a front-row seat to the highs and lows of startup life and showed me what it takes to bring an idea to life. That taste of entrepreneurial spirit stuck with me.
The Shift From Startup to Corporate
The winter break of my senior year brought a more structured experience at the New York State Comptroller’s Office in Albany. I joined as a data analyst, exploring work patterns of nonprofit board members for tax purposes. This first foray into government work was a great learning opportunity, but it also confirmed something important: the corporate, government environment wasn’t my calling. I realized that excitement in work matters, and I vowed to commit to roles that sparked my interest.With graduation on the horizon, I knew my next chapter was graduate school. I set my sights on a Master’s in Data Science at Georgetown University, a decision that brought me to D.C. and opened doors I didn’t even know existed.
Shifting Gears ~ Georgetown
Georgetown was where my passion for data science truly blossomed. In my first year, I wore many hats: research assistant, teaching assistant, you name it. At the Center for Retirement Initiatives, I helped build monthly dashboards tracking state retirement programs. Meanwhile, I worked on an ambitious AI project using reinforcement learning to tailor drug treatment plans for multiple myeloma patients—a project that reinforced how impactful data science could be in healthcare. Teaching assistant roles in database and digital storytelling classes honed my communication skills and taught me how to break down complex topics into digestible lessons. It was a busy year that pushed me to my limits, and I learned the hard way that balance is key. By my second year, I shifted my focus to fewer commitments, keeping one research role and founding a professional development center to help first-year students navigate their job hunts.
Finding Purpose ~ Johnson & Johnson
Summer after my first year brought the most defining experience yet: an internship at Johnson & Johnson’s R&D Data Science Innovative Medicine team. Here, I contributed to both backend clinical data mapping and frontend application development, collaborating with UI/UX designers to build tools for researchers and scientists to access analysis-ready data seamlessly. Working at the forefront of healthcare, knowing that my work could support future treatments, solidified my passion for data science in health. It’s where I want to be: at the intersection of data, innovation, and people’s well-being.
What Comes Next...
The journey has been anything but linear, and that’s what makes it worth telling. So, here I am, looking forward to what’s next as I prepare to graduate soon :)