Math Teacher to Data Scientist: Why the Pursuit?
I knew I wanted to be a math teacher when I was 15 years old. I saved all of my math notebooks and worksheets from high school, just in case they could be useful to me in the future. I always had opinions on how a topic was taught and I made notes on how I might teach it differently when I had my own classroom. I always considered myself lucky that I knew what I wanted to do, especially in early college years when many around me were still undecided.
There is no doubt that becoming a teacher has been one of my most fulfilling aspects of my life; Helping students learn, grow, and develop is something that brings far more rewards than just a paycheck. Never could I have imagined that the path I chose would open the door for me to move to Sweden, to be teaching at an international school alongside some of the most incredible people, exploring a melting pot of teaching philosophies from across the globe. To be at a school filled with passionate and dedicated teachers that not only care deeply for their lessons and their students, but for each other as well. Goodbyes are hard, but sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. I chose to move back to the US in the summer of 2020 in the pursuit of my new passion.
So… when does Data Science come in?
One of my closest coworkers and friends in Sweden was finishing her Master’s in Data Analysis when I met her in 2018. I was fascinated by the material and in awe with the work she was completing. At the time, she was using her degree to help our school analyze student test scores and track student success. I thought, is this for me? While I have never regretted becoming a teacher (as I do hope to return to the education field someday), I was tempted to change careers that would utilize my buried math skills. After a couple years of contemplation, I finally took the plunge. I knew that exploring the “Wild West” of data science in today’s society was where I wanted to be.
“Data is the new oil.” — Mathematician Clive Humby
It has become overwhelmingly clear how critical understanding data is in today’s day and age. In business, data provides insights into market trends, customer behavior, and opportunities for growth. While data may be the “new oil” serving as a key to company profit, it is also provides opportunities to change the world for the greater good. That is, if it is collected and synthesized into tools that have a public benefit. These are the opportunities I wish to explore.
Changing careers is incredibly daunting. And enrolling in a rather expensive bootcamp on a teacher’s salary is a bit risky. Though I am following the belief that I am exactly where I should be, following this path that was made for me. While other classmates may be more experienced in computer science and statistics, the soft skills acquired from being a teacher should not be overlooked; Data visualizations are useless unless you are able to communicate clearly with your audience, after all.
For now, I’m off to develop the hard skills. More soon.
