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Forging a Path in Data: A Veteran’s Perspective on UVA’s Online MSDS
Cameron Preasmyer
Education
M.S. in Data Science 2026, University of Virginia
B.S. in Business Economics 2023, UC San Diego
Hometown
Quartz Hill, CA
After five years of active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps, Cameron Preasmyer transitioned from satellite communications sergeant to data enthusiast. An undergraduate econometrics course sparked his passion for data, leading him to pursue the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Online M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) program. Drawn by the program’s rigor, faculty excellence, and strong outcomes, Cameron chose UVA, and his orientation week only reinforced his decision. Now an admissions ambassador, he’s not only thriving in the classroom but also helping guide prospective students through shared passion and purpose. In his own words, Preasmyer explores how a veteran’s discipline, inspiration from econometrics, and a supportive online cohort made all the difference. Read on to learn more.
I found my passion for data in an undergraduate econometrics course series. Although it was a relatively small portion of my degree program, the content of those courses gave me that perfect balance between challenge and interest. After I graduated and realized I wanted to go to graduate school, I did some research and found the field of data science to be exactly what I was looking for.
Data science is a relatively new and evolving field. As such, there are a lot of organizations jumping on the data train, so to speak. Many programs for data science claim to be high-end and thorough, but in actuality, many of them are expedited bootcamps or MOOCs with tricky advertising and lackluster results. After realizing that, I was careful to discern the quality of the programs that I looked into. The important factors for me were course rigor, reputation of the organization, expert faculty, and good career placement statistics.
After some research, I was very optimistic about the Online MSDS program here at UVA. However, it wasn’t until I attended the program's orientation at the beginning of my first semester that I realized how perfect this program was for me. I noticed how active the faculty are in ensuring student success and creating a great environment for learning and growth. The professors are very dedicated, accessible, and come from the top of their fields. I knew I had chosen a great program before the orientation, but after talking to the faculty in that first week, I realized this program really checked off all of my boxes.
Lastly, the thing that I love the most about our online community is how motivated my fellow classmates are. I was skeptical of how collaborative the environment could be in an online program, but to my amazement, most, if not all, of my fellow students go out of their way to help one another, collaborate, and discuss class topics outside of class times. To me, the only thing that makes this program feel like an online program is the modality in which classes are held. The faculty at the School of Data Science has done a great job of ensuring all of the other great qualities of a conventional cohort-style program are present in the online program.
