My interest in data science started in 2012 when I began online shopping. Having moved to the US from a country where e-commerce did not exist, the continuous advertisements and recommendations that were closely related to my purchases ignited my curiosity. I came to learn that they were all applications of data science. Three years later, I moved to the supplier side at General Electric. Just as the targeted advertisements aimed to influence my purchasing decisions as a college student, our customers’ gas turbine requirements were coded to generate virtual power plants. Thanks to data science, I virtually walked through the gas turbines I was continually hearing about. My interest culminated. I decided to further explore the challenges and opportunities that data offered. I applied for the University of British Columbia Master of Data Science (MDS) program.

A Master of Data Science would be valuable to me in several ways. First, complementing my economics-mathematics knowledge with computer science and statistics training would enable me to use efficient algorithms to implement quantifiable data driven solutions. Moreover, learning about different types and levels of complexity of data is key to mastering data extraction, visualization, analysis and interpretation. Lastly, working with real-life datasets, would prepare me for my next employment opportunity.

An online advertisement triggered my interest in data science and a virtual power plant made me rethink my career choice. I'm looking forward to exploring the power of data.