Student Spotlight: Samia Cabezas (MSBA’22)
Hometown
Quito, Ecuador
Fun Fact
Due to the pandemic, my husband and I will have 3 weddings within a two-year span.
What is something we should know about you?
I switch to Spanish when I am either angry or excited.
What is the closest thing to real magic?
Wait — are you saying magic is not real?
Why did you choose Georgetown?
I chose Georgetown McDonough for the high-quality education, school reputation, innovative and relevant program that will remain relevant in the workforce.
What opportunities of growth as a class representative have enhanced your MSBA experience?
This opportunity as a class representative allowed me to be a liaison between our class and the program leadership. I have been an advocate for continued improvement in our program and have been able to enact real change within the program to ensure our class has the best possible learning experience.
What has been your favorite class?
I am definitely interested in anything related to data visualization and dashboarding. I truly feel that all of our classes have covered this topic in different forms. Our programming and machine learning courses showed us how to communicate complex statistical analysis and models through histograms, numerous plots and most recently, decision trees. In our opening residency we focused on Tableau which is a fantastic tool to create interactive dashboards which can be leveraged for presentations in the workforce.
Is there a particular person or moment that helped shape your experience into what it is today?
Through the early years of my career, I realized that success is significantly driven by the desire to learn. I also found that continually learning and improving upon yourself brings a sense of self-fulfillment. I would say this discovery led me to where I am today, working full-time as a manager within a consulting firm and pursuing a master’s degree in data analytics.
How has your experience in the inaugural MSBA cohort at McDonough prepared you for your postgraduate journey?
I would argue our postgraduate journey is significantly different because most of the individuals in the cohort already have a full-time job. I decided to pursue this degree in order to remain relevant in the financial industry and provide my clients with innovative solutions and products. This program also offers more opportunities to grow within my career or consider alternate routes. Having options is always important and those are provided through the skills gained by this program.
What advice would you give to incoming cohorts?
The program is challenging, yet incredibly rewarding. From the get-go you will encounter many ways to apply the knowledge you have gained. Organize your time in order for you to get the most out of the program and still allow for time to invest in yourself and your family or friends. Finding the right balance is crucial and as the program advances.
