Liberal Arts Major: Economics
Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

What was the best part of your experience?

So far, the best part of this internship experience has been the contacts I have gained. As a result of working in such an influential city in regards to the healthcare industry, I know some well-established executives. Also, this internship has helped me to understand real-world data better. Dealing with raw data now rather than provided-for data has shown me how messy analysis can get in the real world. I have a better understanding of the progression that data analysis goes through.

"I like the feeling of being around decision makers and supporting my suggestions with the data that I have gathered and analyzed."

How did this experience impact you academically?

Academically, this experience has sharpened my Microsoft Excel skills. I can now create basic models and build assignments within the application. I will also be able to leverage MS Excel for my final year at Penn State. It will save me a lot of time as I hope to take several quantitative courses before heading off to work in data analysis for a firm after graduation.

How will this experience impact your career goals?

Before this internship experience, I did not have an industry preference for my career. However, I am now leaning towards healthcare. The industry is exciting and changing more than I had realized. There are a lot of new insights and data is far more important to the accuracy of diagnoses these days. I like the feeling of being around decision makers and supporting my suggestions with the data that I have gathered and analyzed.