Organization Development Data Analyst Intern, Disney
When she applied for an internship with Disney, Jordyn Gerstle-Goodman knew what kind of odds she was up against.
鈥淚 told myself if I just got to the first round of interviews, that鈥檚 an accomplishment,鈥� she said.听
Four rounds of interviews later, Gerstle-Goodman had the kind of experience any student dreams of鈥攊n exactly the field she鈥檚 passionate about (people analytics), with a supportive team that challenged her to grow. It鈥檚 gone so well that the fall position was extended through the spring.听
鈥淒isney is very encouraging of career exploration鈥攖here are senior vice presidents who will take time out of their days just to talk to interns and try to get them hired,鈥� she said.
Her Disney internship is Gerstle-Goodman鈥檚 fourth; most of them have revolved around an interest in data science she developed at Leeds.听
鈥淚 originally wanted to be a corporate attorney, but in the middle of my undergrad, I learned about this career, data scientist, that I鈥檇 never heard of before,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 thought it was the coolest thing ever, to play with statistics and math and algorithms in business.鈥澨�
Most data scientists have graduate degrees that prepare them for the advanced statistical and modeling techniques they use at work, so Gerstle-Goodman pursued the one-year master鈥檚 in Business Analytics immediately after completing her Leeds bachelor鈥檚 degree.听
鈥淢y graduate classes have gone far beyond what I learned in my undergrad,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 sure my career will start as an analyst, but with what I鈥檝e learned, I think I鈥檒l be able to get to that level much more quickly than I otherwise might have.鈥�
An enthusiastic traveler who鈥檚 visited nearly 40 states, Gerstle-Goodman received scholarship support to help finance her degree, including one from Alteryx that鈥檚 closely aligned to her career goals.听
鈥淢y goal is to do work that helps everyone feel that they鈥檙e represented and belong.鈥�
Jordyn Gerstle-Goodman (Info Mgmt, Fin鈥�21; MSBA鈥�22)
鈥淭he money obviously helps, but there are also these great learning opportunities,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 get to attend coding boot camps and have access to Alteryx tools, in addition to job opportunities.鈥澨�
She鈥檚 also a member of the Diverse Scholars Program, which aligns with her goal of using people analytics to improve equality in business.
鈥淢y goal is to do work that helps everyone feel that they鈥檙e represented and belong,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 really see that as being an area that will really benefit companies, both in an HR capacity and in improving their customers鈥� experience.鈥澨�