A question I’ve been asked multiple times since joining Flatiron School’s Part-time Data Science program. It’s a bit of a hodgepodge but I that may be a common them amongst us boot camp folks. I’ll make this as short as possible. Don’t want to keep ya too long.
I’ve loved science and medicine from a young age. So much so that I was on track to be a physician when I entered my university years. During that time, I began engaging in research in an effort to stand out as an applicant. I ended up falling in love with research during this time. So much so, that I ended up researching across 3 different labs during the completion of my degrees in Biological Sciences and Psychological Sciences. The goal was to get an MD/PhD from one of the hybrid programs that were available and specialize in psychiatry (I know, I know, a tall order). But, after such a rigorous 4 years and generous helping of student loans, I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit myself to a possible 13 years of school and even more debt so I took a break, join the workforce, and develop as a professional before I made a final decision. I wanted to enjoy my youth for a bit.
I bartended and served for the 2 years and ultimately landing a job with a fortune 500 based out of Arkansas through a program targeting recent graduates. I excelled during the program and was selected for a position at the Seattle, Washington branch after 9 months. When I first started the job, I was excited to learn new professional and social skills. After mastering new soft and hard skills, I felt my growth rate plummet and I had not real mentors available due to the branch being so far from corporate. I was stagnant and unfulfilled by the sales role, but I did learn that I didn’t necessarily need to pursue medicine to get the mental fulfilment I craved.
Luckily during this stretch of time, one of my best friends, Brandi, came to visit me while I gripped about my current lot in life. She told me about Flatiron before but, this time was a bit different since her husband had just finished the Software Engineering program and had first-hand experience with how beneficial it was to him as he switched careers. I hopped into the prep work and loved the sense of fulfillment I got from completing the labs. I realized just how important mental engagement was for me. I felt myself moving closure to doing the things I used to enjoy so much during university. Playing with data, and testing hypothesis are things I see myself doing a lot of and becoming a junior data scientist through Flatiron just made sense.