Analytics
Although most of this site focuses on my love for adventure and the outdoors, I also have a full-time career as a data analyst.
What in the world is data analytics?
Often when I tell others I majored in data analytics, I am met with a blank stare and an audible 'huh?'. If you had a similar reaction, let me try and explain data analytics to you. To me, in its simplest form, data analytics is using data to make smarter decisions. There is certainly much more to it, but if you had to boil it down to one sentence, that is how I would describe it.
Why I chose to pursue data analytics
For me, analytics molded together a lot of my interests from high school into one major. You take the professional side of business, the technical aspects of coding/working on computers, and the theoretical background of mathematics, and combine them all into one single field, and boom! You have made data analytics. That combination resonated with me. I like collaborating and working through problems as a team, but at the same time, I also love putting on my headphones and pumping out code to analyze data. This field allows me to be flexible and do all of this.
Not to mention, analytics is an exploding field right now with so many job openings. The reality is that there is data in every single industry, and not enough people to dig through it. I love the field, and I can apply skills that I have learned in so many formats.
My background
My journey all started in my junior year of high school. I was really good at math, but I didn't know where I wanted to take that. All my friends who were also good at math were starting to pursue engineering. I thought about following the same path, but truth be told, engineering really didn't intrigue me at all.
Then one day, my dad came home from work with a printed article about how the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) was starting a brand new program called 'data analytics'. I became more and more intrigued as I read the article. I researched the major heavily and decided to attend UWSP. Once I started, I never looked back. The courses were fulfilling and I had incredible opportunities to grow professionally. In May of 2021, I received my bachelor's of science in data analytics, graduating with honors.
Throughout school, I interned at both Kohler Company and Johnsonville twice and completed my course's capstone at Sentry Insurance. These experiences each taught me so much about analytics and ultimately reinforced that I had chosen the correct career path.
There is just something so fulfilling about diving into complex problems and solving them with elegant analytical solutions. Analytics can have a real impact on an organization and it's exciting to be a part of that.
Currently, I work as an analyst for the Strategy and Analytics department at Lucid Software. Lucid is an incredible company that really cares about its employees having recognized both locally and nationally as one of the best workplaces by Forbes among other organizations. Lucid also offers an exciting suite of products that empower teams to see and use the future. I am blessed to be part of a great group of people, supporting a great product, with an opportunity to impact Lucid with my skillset.
Code Samples
I have worked on many personal analytics projects. If you are interested, I would encourage you to check out my Github page. I am quite busy nowadays between working full-time, running this site, and adventuring so I don't have always have a chance to push forward analysis for these projects. However, I still hope to work on some new ideas in the future combining analytics with some of my other interests in some fun side projects.
Conclusion
To think, this is only the beginning of my career journey. I am sure my path will twist and turn as I progress. Who knows where I could be in 20 years? But having so much in front of me both personally and professionally is what makes life exciting.