Tanya Davis-Castro

I joined because I was SICK of feeling like my current job wasn't going anywhere and had decided to make a career change into data analytics. Knowing I would have a lot to learn (at almost 35!) I jumped in 150%. Dahoon was my mentor and shortly after starting I sustained a shoulder injury that took me out of work for and using a computer for 6 weeks. I was really impressed by Dahoon's fast pivot when I expressed concern for how this would set me back in coursework. He reached out regularly with support and ideas for how to keep learning and practicing without worsening my injury by sitting at a computer. I was dreading returning to my job from leave, but a new manager and strong encouragement from Dahoon led me to take a stab at applying for a promotion. I felt like Dahoon considered my professional goals but also what I needed for work-life balance with a family. He encouraged me to reconsider my original goals, so we adjusted and focused more on learning data skills to support my current work and make me a unique and competitive candidate. After the summer of sessions and a lot of critique and work on my interview presentation I landed the promotion with a 23% salary increase! Needless to say this pay change has been a game-changer and I am very grateful to Dahoon and Data in Motion because I'm not sure I would have gotten it otherwise. I am using what I learned in DiM and building on it every day in my job in clinical trials. Leadership has noticed and I can't emphasize enough how much these skills can help you stand out in a sea of applicants in almost any field.