As a data scientist at Warner Bros. Discovery, Ashley Santos, B.A. '24, translates complex statistical models into actionable insights to help inform leadership decisions.
After growing up in a low-income community, graduating from the #1 undergraduate data science program in the country and landing a role at one of the world's largest entertainment companies, Santos's story looks like a series of dreams coming true.
Between those milestones, though, the world often seemed to push her to dream smaller.
Santos refused. Again and again, she carved her own path through the obstacles standing between her and the future she envisioned.
Choosing the uncertain road
By the time she reached her senior year of high school in Richmond, California, Santos had done everything she was supposed to do. She’d gotten the grades and taken classes in coding and engineering. Her sights were set firmly on one destination: UC Berkeley.
Then admissions decisions arrived and Santos found herself staring at a rejection letter from her dream school.
“At the time, it felt like the end of my world," she said.
Friends and teachers encouraged her to accept an admission offer to a different university and move on to the next chapter. In Santos’s community, an offer to any four-year college was an achievement you didn’t turn your back on.
But to Santos, it felt like settling. And so, puzzling those around her, she enrolled at Berkeley City College, determined to earn another opportunity at UC Berkeley admission through the transfer process.
“I felt like I was destined for more,” said Santos. “I wanted a second chance.”
Building a community
Santos’s community college experience was filled with long commutes, difficult coursework and moments of uncertainty. Outside the classroom, she balanced two jobs while helping support her family. As the oldest of four younger siblings in a single-parent immigrant household, she needed to navigate responsibilities that extended far beyond being a student.
But it paid off when Santos finally got the news she had spent so long chasing: she had been admitted to UC Berkeley.
Then came the culture shock.
In her early classes, Santos found herself surrounded by students who possessed a familiarity with the technology industry she hadn't had access to growing up. Some already had internships. Others had family members working in the field.
Refusing to let panic discourage her, Santos reached out to first-generation students with internship experience on LinkedIn and shared her fears that everyone around her seemed to have access to support systems she lacked.
Then, the advice from one of those students changed her perspective.
“He told me if I kept focusing on what other people had that I didn’t, I would crumble. Instead, I needed to build those things for myself,” Santos said. “He told me it was okay to take up space.”
With a renewed sense of determination, she continued to build relationships through LinkedIn, intentionally reaching out to recent graduates in roles she aspired to pursue, as well as professionals who could provide guidance and insight. At Berkeley, she joined the Data Scholars program and took on mentorship roles within the data science major and NavCal.
Through her involvement, she not only found a sense of inclusion for herself, she became what she had once been searching for: proof that students like her belonged in data science.
Refusing to feel smaller
The story Santos had envisioned for her Berkeley education had always included an epilogue: finding work she felt proud of. So when Santos joined Warner Bros. Discovery after graduation, it felt like reaching the finish line.
Then, during her first months in industry, a familiar feeling crept over her. Many of her colleagues held master's degrees. Some had PhDs. They seemed to approach projects with a confidence she didn’t possess.
"I second-guessed myself a lot," she said.
But by then, Santos had learned to deal with feelings of self-doubt by taking charge of what she could control.
“When I started, I asked questions left and right without putting in effort to solve them myself,” Santos said. “So I decided to take a step back. Let me read. Let me research.”
Her questions became more informed. She demonstrated her curiosity for the work and she quickly became more knowledgeable. Her confidence grew.
While she made the change for herself, others took notice. Santos became the primary contact for Warner Bros. Discovery stakeholders seeking data-driven insights on pricing and promotional strategies, helping inform critical business decisions.
Full circle
In May 2026, Santos was named a recipient of the 2026 UC Berkeley Data Science Community Award for her exceptional contribution as an alumni mentor, helping current Berkeley students navigate many of the same uncertainties she once faced herself.
When Santos tells her story to undergraduates, she emphasizes that success isn’t measured by how quickly one reaches their goals or whether their path looks like anyone else's. She encourages students to embrace their identities, backgrounds and lived experiences as strengths, recognizing that these perspectives are what make their journeys and contributions unique. She inspires others to dream big and find the perseverance to keep moving forward.
"Find pride in how long it takes for you to get to where you are, because you're still there," Santos said. "If you didn’t come from generational wealth, build it for yourself. Build it for a future generation.”
