AMERICA| A young Lady breaks New York University’s 7-year-old record, becomes first African American woman to earn masters in Data Science
A 23-year-old Lady named Deja Bond has made history as the first African American woman to earn a master’s degree in Data Science at New York University in the United States.
Deja, a Philadelphia native made history as the first African American woman to bag a master’s degree in data science at the New York University’s Center for Data Science, United States.
Deja obtained her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Spelman College, Atlanta. She mentioned that she had no experience with computer science or coding before she went to Spelman College.
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“I had to learn everything from the beginning. It was difficult, but my experiences at Spelman shaped my journey to NYU,” she said.
Deja said she became interested in Data science when she did an undergraduate internship at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington, D.C.
She said she first applied to New York University’s Computer Data Science Department in 2018 and was placed on the wait list so she moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to work for Appirio, an information technology consulting company.
“I gained a lot of experience in the development of coding for front and backend engineering. I also worked with business analysts to do requirement documentation and developed relationships with clients like L’Oreal, Chipotle, PNC, and The Walt Disney Company,” she said.
After she was accepted to the university, Deja worked remotely while juggling her studies as full-time student. She said she left Appirio in her second year so she could concentrate on her studies.
“I was working 40 hours a week and then hopped on the train after work to go to school and take evening classes. I wouldn’t get home ‘til 1 or 2 a.m. in the morning; it was exhausting,” she said.
Deja said what helped her get through the program was the help and support from her family and friends. “I was constantly working with my friends on group work and assignments. My family helped me as well. Throughout everything, I always had that support system with me,” she said.
Talking about her achievement, Deja said she was surprised to have made it this far as she was once waiting to be admitted and now she is making history while working a full-time job.
” There was an especially low point for me during my program when I lost my grandmother, who was extremely important to me. The loss set me back. Over time, I realized it is not about being the smartest, it is about having perseverance,” she said.
Deja said she is honored to have made history, advising others to never let rejection bring them down. She urges them to believe in themselves and their dreams even if there will be challenges, they should remain strong.
She said she plans to pursue a career as a Product Manager with a Machine Learning specialization inspired by her passion for passion for applied analytics. Deja stated that even though she has not selected an offer, she will be deciding soon on where to pursue her career.
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