From Storytelling to Strategy: Mabel Barba Davila’s (MSBA’24) Journey of Resilience, Purpose, and Data-Driven Impact

As the spring semester comes to a close, Georgetown McDonough is pleased to commemorate the accomplishments of the Class of 2025. To celebrate, we’re spotlighting several of the exceptional students in the Class of 2025 as they share their personal stories, reflect on their time on the Hilltop, and preview what the future holds after commencement.

Mabel Barba Davila (MSBA’24) is a graduate of Georgetown’s Master of Science in Business Analytics (MSBA) program. Here, Davila reflects on the personal struggles that chartered her professional journey to Georgetown and beyond.

A Pivotal Experience

A few years ago, I made the bold decision to pivot from a successful career in film, where I became the first Bolivian to work on a Best Picture Oscar-winning movie, to the world of data analytics. That leap was not born from ambition alone but from survival and a renewed sense of purpose.

In 2018, soon after becoming a mother, I was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. It was sudden, terrifying, and within 24 hours of the call, I started treatment at Northside Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. As someone who thrives on drafting plans, I found myself with uncertainty living hour by hour. Through that storm, I discovered my true superpower: resilience.

Why I Chose Georgetown

I chose the MSBA program at Georgetown because it blended rigor, ethics, and innovation with the chance to be part of the Hoya community. Looking back, my favorite memory was during our Opening Residency when Fr. Ron Anton explained the St. Irenaeus’ quote from the second century: “The glory of God is man fully alive.” This phrase sent chills down my spine, as I felt I was at the right place at the right time to embrace my full potential. 

My proudest moment from my time at Georgetown was during our capstone project with the World Bank, where my team and I built a risk index and the framework for an intervention simulation tool to identify vulnerable populations in Colombia during earthquake-related health system disruptions. This was the moment I realized I had transitioned from storyteller to strategic problem-solver. 

Formative Experiences

There were multiple people who made an indelible impact on my educational experience. Professor Gregory Lyon has been one of the most important people in my time at Georgetown. His energy and insight have been invaluable. To this day, his lectures help me stay curious. Additionally, my favorite courses were Applied Economics and Modeling with Professor Nathan Miller and Modeling Analytics in Operations with Professor Canan Ulu. Both classes were incredibly tough for me, but deeply rewarding. They gave me powerful tools I immediately applied in healthcare finance analytics in my current role as coordinator of advanced analytics with Northside Hospital, where I’m no longer a patient and now help improve healthcare outcomes through data.

To future MSBA students, I encourage you to stay curious and stay grounded in your “why.” Georgetown gave me the tools. Resilience gave me the fuel. Your journey doesn’t have to follow a straight line to be meaningful. Mine definitely didn’t, but it led me exactly where I needed to go.

-Mabel Barba Davila (MSBA’24)