academics

I'm majoring in Data Science.

glad you asked!

(what is that?)

I'm completing a minor in Education!

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• Identifying patterns in data

Exploration

• Uses visualizations

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Inference

• Using data to draw reliable conclusions about the world

• Uses statistics

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Prediction

• Making informed guesses about unobserved data

• Uses machine learning

Studying education as an undergraduate academic discipline at the Berkeley School of Education is an interdisciplinary endeavor that advances understanding of how people learn and how to design learning environments, supportive policy, and community contexts in which such learning can successfully unfold.

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Why data science?

Studying data science is especially relevant in today's data-driven world and is a great path for many reasons:

Why education?

high demand for data scientists

diverse career opportunities

competitive salaries

interdisciplinary nature

opportunities for research and innovation

As a lifelong passion of mine, education has always been my number one calling. While data science is a shiny tool with which we can interpret the world, developing relationships with the youth and encouraging their growth through education is what truly fulfills me.

By leveraging my skills in data analytics, I can pursue a meaningful future bridging the gap between underprivileged youth and their full learning potential.

THE OVERLAP OF EDUCATION AND DATA ANALYTICS

During the Spring semester of my sophomore year, I conducted classroom research and wrote a 20-page paper as a requirement in one of my education courses:

Building Relationships for Student Engagement: Enhancing the AVID Tutoring Approach in Freshman Classrooms

This study investigates the challenges and opportunities in enhancing student engagement within the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) tutoring model for high school freshmen, particularly at Sierra High. The AVID approach encourages collaborative problem-solving and reflection, relying on high levels of student motivation and participation. However, involuntary enrollment in the program has led to significant apathy, undermining its efficacy. Through action research conducted in two AVID freshman cohorts, this project explores relational dynamics, classroom environment, and personalized strategies to address student disengagement.

Data was gathered via observational field notes, semi-structured interviews with AVID faculty and tutors, and a student survey. Findings underscore the pivotal role of relationships in fostering a welcoming and supportive classroom culture that encourages participation. Personalized approaches, such as humor and individualized encouragement, emerged as effective tools for mitigating apathy. Correlations in survey data revealed that comfort in the classroom environment strongly influences motivation and engagement. Disparities between the two observed tutorial groups highlight the interplay of classroom dynamics, student autonomy, and pre-existing relational familiarity.

The study calls for reevaluating Sierra High’s AVID admission policies and emphasizes the need for relationship-building by educators and tutors to create a positive learning atmosphere. Recommendations include fostering stronger teacher-student and peer relationships, tailoring interventions to individual student needs, and addressing systemic factors affecting student attitudes toward the program. This research contributes to understanding how relational strategies can optimize the AVID tutorial process, ultimately promoting student agency and academic passion.

click to download + read

This project introduced me to the utility of technical skills like data analysis in qualitative research.