Lavender Zhang was a student at Flatiron School’s part-time Data Science bootcamp and ready to build her Capstone Project. Empty shelves at her local grocery store at the start of the pandemic inspired Lavender to build a dashboard that could predict food crisis levels and infrastructure needs. Lavender walks us through her final project, explaining where Flatiron School instructors helped her navigate challenges, and how she’s been able to discuss topics like geospatial visualization in interviews! Plus, hear Lavender’s timely advice for aspiring data scientists and the need for data skills in 2022.
What motivated you to enroll in Flatiron School’s part-time Data Science bootcamp?
After completing my master’s at New York University (NYU) in Urban Infrastructure Engineering, I began working in the energy industry at Bright Power as an Energy Analyst. I wanted to advance my skills in data science and did some research about what opportunities were out there. A colleague recommended that I look into Flatiron School’s Data Science bootcamp because she had done the Software Engineering bootcamp. I spoke with Flatiron School’s admissions team, and they provided an excellent overview of the program, including the career service support and the immersive curriculum. I felt confident in their bootcamp and decided to enroll at Flatiron School while I kept working full-time at Bright Power.
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Are you using everything you learned at Flatiron School on the job as an Energy Analyst II at Bright Power?
Yes! Recently, I have worked on projects at my current job that focus on statistical analysis on energy efficiency and performance. I utilized the statistical knowledge I received through my Data Science bootcamp to complete this project. Another project that I also recently took on is a pilot project that models energy usage with machine learning. I was able to think outside the framework we were using in order to add some interesting pieces to the project based on what I learned at bootcamp.
Read the full interview on Course Report’s website.