The Data Science Student Becomes the Teacher
Sunny Yurasek ‘20 discovered a love of learning in Northwestern’s online MS in Data Science (MSDS) program — one so strong that she wants to share it with other students.
In 2020, Sunny Yurasek worked in a managerial role, leading the promotions and pricing systems at Constellation Brands, home of Corona, Modelo, and Pacifico beers. She was in charge of leading an optimization project for the company when Sunny observed that the data scientist working with the company struggled with translating complex data and the findings to the leadership team. She realized, “If I don’t understand it, how can I be effective?” She’d been pondering returning to school already, so she decided to pursue a master’s degree in data science: she chose Northwestern University because of its high ranking and the program’s flexibility, which made sense for her as a working parent.
Sunny’s time in the MS in Data Science program answered her questions, prepared her for the next leg of her career, and strengthened her network. “The diversity of the student body was just so impressive. You have people ranging from attorneys to journalists to doctors. They were all curious about how to apply their work to leveraging machine learning and AI.”
She found the Introduction to Machine Learning course taught by Thomas Miller particularly challenging and educational in its hands-on approach. “Every single week, you’re learning different concepts, and then you’re working in a team setting to produce a project in the theory that you’re learning,” she said. Kimberly Chulis’s leadership class was also informative, both in the classroom and in Chulis’s outside-the-course support. "A lot of the individuals joining this degree don’t come from the data science industry,” said Sunny. “There was a good blend of theoretical and leadership components.”
She says the MS in Data Science’s capstone project was a real-world challenge that could be applied to anyone working in data, similar to the issue she tackled at Constellation. “How do you pitch a project in defining the value proposition to a leader who has no idea about data science? They are holding the budget; they want to make a change, whether it’s analytical or digital transformation, but they need to be educated,” she said. “They need to be able to speak to someone who not only have the in-depth knowledge about the technology, machine learning and AI techniques, but is also able to help them connect the dots and explain a most complex concept in simple terms.”
Leveraging connections to ramp up a data science career
Sunny’s peers influenced her as well. When classmate Ali Gowani ‘20, announced that he was looking for volunteers to join the MSDS Student Leadership Council (SLC), Sunny raised her hand, ultimately becoming Vice President of the SLC. “I think continuously learning from others is important. Even after you leave the program, continue taking those relationship forward to support one another through your careers,” she said, “through coaching, through mentorship, because every single one of us has a lot to offer.
With her degree and new skills set in hand, Yurasek joined Decision Point Analytics, an analytics consulting company focusing on data science, data engineering, and its proprietary analytics tool called BeagleGPT. “I always wanted to learn as much as I can and make an impact as much as I can. And the only industry I could think of was the consulting space.”
She learned about the company while attending an industry conference and, leveraging her network, reached out to the CEO directly after seeing an interesting post online about the company, which led to a job opportunity. “I would advise anyone who is going through the job search journey to continue building a strong network, and reaching out to people you admire and cultivate those relationships consistently,” she said. “You just never know which doors may open.”
Sunny says that going to “the other side” in consulting has been a stimulating journey, teaching her the power of active listening and asking the right questions. “As much as it’s selling your services and being a partner, it’s really trying to understand what they’re trying to solve.” She aims to help clients understand their true needs and how to help them understand how to address their specific issues. “Some organizations face major challenges and there’s a big sense of urgency. So how do you using data, factual data, as a guide, as a tool versus leaning on historical behavior?” she said. “’What has worked will always work’ is no longer something we can rely on. I’m trying to understand the problem without rushing into trying to solve it.”
Finding a new role at Northwestern SPS
That wasn’t the only new opportunity she took after graduating: Sunny is also now a teaching assistant in Northwestern’s Master’s in Data Science program (as well as an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University). “When I graduated from the Data Science program, I knew I wanted to be involved.” She had been looking for a way to continue learning after graduating. After expressing interest to Professor Chulis, Sunny landed a teaching assistant role in the leadership class. “Everything that I have done with the MSDS program, even the Student Leadership Council, has given me all the tools necessary to read a room, communicate at different levels, and craft a compelling story to influence people to achieve their goals strategically,” she says.
When she’s not teaching or working, Sunny cheers her teenage son at baseball games, crafts and sells handmade jewelry (a skill she picked up during COVID) and does DIY interior design in her home in Evanston, learning and practicing renovating skills she observes from the professionals she hires. “I feel empowered because in this field, just like data science, there aren’t a lot of women you see is walking around as the electrician or the carpenter,” she said. “I love exploring different things that offer the opportunity to learn, especially in areas that I enjoy.”
Advice for incoming MS in Data Science students
She advises new students to the program to find a trusted mentor, a role she hopes to serve through future teaching roles. “I want to support people, whether they’re a seasoned professional or a female data analytics employee embarking on their early career path,” she said.
Sunny advises other MSDS students to get as involved as she did. “There are many ways to plug in, to join all of these events that are curated through the student leadership or to participate.” A little time commitment can go a long way, even if you’re as busy as she is. “Stay connected, make an effort to learn from other students, as they are just as valuable as the professors and the content you will be interacting with,” she said. “Keep that relationship as long as you can, because those students are a great support system you will not otherwise stumble upon.”
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