I’m a trans man with a background in nonprofit marketing, a master’s degree in data science, and a passion for data communication.
After I finished my bachelor’s degree (BA in American Studies, Yale University), I fell into nonprofit marketing for 5 years. I enjoyed the work well enough (especially the parts where I was working with subject matter experts and helping them craft blog posts), and I liked my coworkers, but I found that I did not have a long term interest in the field and burnt out by early 2023.
I quit my job to spend time recovering and figuring out what to do next. I started by taking a Coursera course on data analytics, because I was interested in learning how to use spreadsheets better. While taking that course, I happened to join an online Magic the Gathering league for folks of marginalized genders (the VML). On a whim, I started compiling the weekly metagame data and doing a little write up for the community, primarily as a way to practice my new skills. It was positively received, and that’s what led me to seriously think about pursuing data communication as a field.
From there, I applied (and was accepted to) Northeastern University’s Align program, a master’s program with a bridge year to fill my coding and math knowledge gaps prior to actually taking master’s level courses. At Northeastern, I focused on human-computer interaction and machine learning.