On the first warm Friday evening of the year in March, Berkeley’s Data Science Undergraduate Studies Data Scholars program hosted their inaugural Industry and Internship Panel. About 100 students willingly went back indoors to Evans Hall to hear from two recent graduates and two current student interns about their successes, challenges and lessons learned navigating the data science industry.
Panelists Carlos Ortiz, '22, Data Scientist at Snap Inc.; Rachel McCarty, '23, Data Scientist at Chevron; Riyya Ahmed, '25, Software Engineering Intern at Atlassian; and Maria Romano, '25, IT/Engineering Intern at KPMG and Software Engineering Intern at MongoDB, shared their insights and answered questions from the audience. Discussing topics from what originally drew them to data science to how they prepared to enter the workforce, the overriding themes were emphasizing that representation matters and that the data science community at Berkeley is incredibly supportive.
Carlos Ortiz recalled never having a Mexican teaching assistant (TA) in his classes and how that made him wonder if he could continue to pursue the major. “I keep hearing from students that I was that representation for them,” he said. “Now I understand how much common cultural backgrounds make a difference in being able to relate.”
Maria Romano spoke about her experience coming to campus as an immigrant and how she surrounded herself with the right people, seeking out groups such as the Codebase Tech Club. “It’s hard to be what you can’t see. Being visible can speak to a ton of groups,” Romano said. “Computer science is a white man’s world, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. You have the power to change that. And people will benefit from your efforts!”
When discussing the ways the graduates had prepared to enter the workforce, the most common element was Data 8. They had also found teaching to be a helpful way to increase their own levels of confidence.
“I had zero intern experience when I graduated, so do not feel behind. What I do wish is that someone would’ve told me not to fixate on internships. Teaching is what really helped me prepare,” said Ortiz, who worked for two years as TA. “Now, I have taught my coworkers the fundamentals of Data 8. It’s 100 percent applicable in my work.”
Rachel McCarty agreed and told the audience to take opportunities that come along because you’ll never know how they can help. “Look outside of tech, your skills will be applicable,” McCarty said.
As current students, both Romano and Ahmed highlighted how the student groups on campus had supported their journey. Romano referred to the Latinx Business Student Association and specifically the mock interviews they did with her.
“I didn’t know about internships or networking. Girls Who Code connected me with two fellowships, those were the best exposure to what it means to be a software engineer. I got to shadow people so that’s how I narrowed it down to know what I want to do,” Ahmed explained. “Last summer I couldn’t find an internship or fellowship, so I explored teaching. I also worked on personal AI projects and lead coding. You’re fine if you don’t have [an internship] yet, you can still work on projects to make them see you are passionate and you’re always learning.”
When asked what skills the graduates have found to be the most applicable now that they’ve graduated, each of them referred to Data 8 and Data 100.
Ortiz still relies on the fundamentals of Data 8 particularly, being he works on a privacy and security team. He emphasized how essential A/B testing is to communicating with stakeholders. “I use SQL so much now, knowing that [language] and Jupiter makes you unstoppable,” he explained.
McCarty has also seen the benefits of Data 100. “It’s the best base for data science. 99% of what I do is covered by that,” she said.
The panelists also talked about how they navigated times when they doubted their abilities or experienced ‘imposter syndrome.’ McCarty specifically referenced the Data Scholars program as one of the many avenues to get involved and feel included.
Talking about the best places to learn on campus, each of the panelists reflected on what they’ve found most helpful.While some of them referred to specific classes such as Info 159 and Data 144 ,as well as language processing and natural image processing, they also all emphasized being open to opportunities that come along and to have fun doing things that interest you.
“I’ll say it again, I found teaching to be the best way to learn. One for the representation and two for yourself. Learn to teach the concepts, then take any opportunity you have to use them,” Ortiz said.
Ahmed recalled getting her first bad grade after being a straight A student in high school. “I freaked out. That’s normal, you’ll be fine,” she said. “Grades don’t define you. Interviewers haven’t asked me about my grades. Find hobbies outside of school, find yourself.”
Current students had the opportunity to network with the panelists and other students at the reception afterwards. “The panel gave me more insight into industry roles and how my previous experience, especially with natural language processing, could benefit me in the long run,” said Noel Salmeron, ‘24. “I also appreciated the diversity of the panel and how I could see myself in the panelists' shoes.”
I was truly impressed by the panel's depth of knowledge, and was extremely grateful for their willingness to engage with us Data Scholars! As someone who's paving the way as a first-generation student, it's tough not having an academic legacy to lean on, which can be isolating. Yet, events like these showcase amazing and ongoing success stories, proving that perseverance and dedication is invaluable,” said Dani Escalante-Regalado, '25. “The panel's emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration and the significance of nurturing community ties resonated with me, reinforcing my commitment to these principles. I hope to enter tech spaces where I can empower others and leverage my abilities for the collective benefit focusing on learning and teaching others."
"The Industry & Internship Panel provided me with a fresh perspective on how to effectively and confidently navigate through the tech industry,” said Ashley Nguyen, '27. “It was truly awe-inspiring to hear about the panelists' diverse challenges and successes, and it left me empowered to continue pursuing data science!"
"The Data Scholars program is dedicated to empowering minoritized students in data science, fostering a community where everyone can thrive. With the success of this inaugural alumni panel, we envision more events like this in the future, nurturing a robust community and dialogue,” said Karina Fong-Hirschfelder, Data Scholars Program Manager. “We're thrilled to see the program expanding, and our ultimate goal is to ensure Data Scholars have access to all data science courses and opportunities, while revamping research and career support pathways."
The Data Scholars Program welcomes any support, including donations, to help further empower the next generation of data leaders. Email data-scholars@berkeley.edu to learn more.