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Not Sure What You Want to Do Yet? Data Science Helped This Undergrad Turn Possibilities Into a Plan
Alessia Amuzu
Education
B.S. in Data Science, Computer Science Minor 2028, University of Virginia
Hometown
Woodbridge, Virginia
For Alessia Amuzu, choosing a major was a process of discovery. After exploring electrical engineering and computer science, she found the flexibility she was looking for in UVA’s B.S. in Data Science (BSDS), a program that connects technical skills with business strategy and real-world problem-solving.
Now, the Woodbridge, Virginia, native is building experience through micro-internships and a summer data science internship at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she helped develop a tool to identify potential issues in data submissions. As she prepares to study abroad in Valencia and begin the analytics concentration, Amuzu is excited to keep exploring how data science can help organizations make smarter decisions and grow.
Q: Why did you choose to study data science?
When I first came to UVA, it took a bit of trial and error before I discovered that data science was a path I'd like to pursue. I initially started out as an electrical engineering major, thinking that was where my passion lied. However, I quickly realized I had the wrong motivations for pursuing this major, so I switched to a field I was more familiar with and felt drawn to: computer science. But again, it seemed that I wanted more than just the technical build. I wanted to focus on both the business and data side too, but I wasn't sure how to branch out from there.
That's when I came across the School of Data Science, primarily concentrations such as analytics and design, which, after some deep diving I found could enable me to combine my technical strengths with my interest in working between businesses and their data in a way that would let me pivot within my career down the line.
I'm a pretty indecisive person who often changes my mind, so fortunately data science became a major where all my different interests could intersect. Within the analytics concentration especially, I found I could stay confident that I'd still have room to explore different careers and figure out where my strengths really lie over the next few years.
Q: How do you plan to use responsible data science for the common good?
I'm currently focused on consulting, and how I can help businesses scale by using data science to analyze their current market position and strengths, then turn those insights into a competitive edge that helps them grow. I've had the chance to practice this on a smaller scale through a series of micro-internships, which let me get a real sense of where I stand and possible paths to explore within the workforce.
Q: How are you involved in data science outside the classroom?
I've built this experience through a series of micro-internships, starting with MyAiPathways, an AI consulting internship that gave me an early sense of how data science gets applied in a business context.
More recently, I spent this past summer as a data scientist intern at Booz Allen Hamilton, where I worked with my team to develop a validation tool designed to help identify potential issues in data submissions earlier in the review process. During the first half of my internship, I focused on research and data processing before transitioning into development.
I contributed to building the tool's validation capabilities, developing components to compare submitted data against established schemas and using AI to help interpret and explain validation results. I also helped build the workflow that connected the different components of the application and gained hands-on experience setting up cloud-based functions and integrating AI capabilities into the solution.
We primarily used Python for development and worked with AWS services throughout the project. Before this, I'd only worked with Azure, so it was great to gain hands-on experience with AWS and broaden my cloud and AI skill set. At the end of the summer, I had the opportunity to present our work to stakeholders at Booz Allen's Summer Games showcase, which pushed me to get better at explaining technical work to people outside the project and gave me the chance to see firsthand how data science and AI can be applied to improve workflows in the workforce.
Q: What are you looking forward to this academic year?
Primarily, I'm excited to be studying abroad in Valencia this fall. At the moment I'm unsure of what to expect, but I believe that's all part of the fun of it.
I'm also looking forward to picking back up on my computer science courses, this time as a minor rather than a major, which I'll be taking alongside my data science coursework this fall. Lastly, I'm looking forward to the opportunity to start a concentration in analytics, which I hope to begin in the spring semester.
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