"Meet the Cast" Cohort 5 Fellows in their Own Words

As we count down to our K-drama “Start-Up” inspired Data Science Project Showcase, let’s meet the “stars” of the show - the Eskwelabs Data Science Fellows!

We will take you on a behind-the-scenes look on who they are and why some are saying the revamped online Eskwelabs experience is a game-changer! In this “Meet the Cast” edition of “Fellows In Their Words”, get to know eight of the Cohort 5 Eskwelabs Data Science Fellows who will present their projects on the 11.21.2020 Demo Day! Who is your bias?

Hey, Emer here. I'm a lofi-music-loving Business Analyst for Lazada and I'm interested in using data science for social good and nation building and I'm constantly looking for awesome projects to work on. When I'm not working or working on a data science project, I drink coffee, hike, play video games, photograph things and drink coffee. Did I mention I drink coffee?

I'm Janina, a person passionate about learning. I believe that to be a good teacher you must constantly seek knowledge. As an engineer/educator/web developer, I take pride in learning something new especially during this time of pandemic. I love singing and traveling but during this period it is not possible, I'd love to tick off my bucket list in learning about data science.

Hi, I'm Rob! An Electrical Engineer by profession and an aspiring Data Scientist. I've been in the Manufacturing Industry for almost 3 years and worked for 2 companies already. I started out as a Quality Assurance Engineer in my first company and then progressed to being a Management Trainee in the second. I've always liked learning and discovering new things and usually spend my time reading a good book or an article online.

Hi, I'm Kenrick Nocom. You can call me Nox! I'm currently a Sr. Financial Analyst at a local retail company. I like watching movies/TV series, playing video games and traveling (go away COVID-19!).

Hi I am Danilo and I like to think that the most notable aspect of me is my curiosity. I like to learn things from the smallest cells to the largest planets in the universe. Hopefully, I can use my knowledge and skills to create a positive impact in my community. Nice to meet you!

Hi! I'm Ruth Ann, a software developer by profession who transitioned into becoming a Financial Advisor to understand how insurance works and eventually now promoting Financial Literacy. I am an advocate of many things including Tamaraw Conservation, Sustainability, Environmental Protection, Plant-Based nutrition, Animal Welfare, Biodiversity Protection and Conservation and many more. I'm still a techie at heart so I now ventured into Data Science to solve the world's problem one data at a time.

Hey! I'm Franz, a sophomore in the Ateneo studying Computer Engineering! I love exploring the different aspects of tech and finding solutions through data and innovation towards solutions with impact. I also love theatre, learning, arts and humanities, chilling, and watching youtube videos of games, animals, plants, and dinosaurs!

I am Phonso! I've played baseball pretty much my whole life, but now I mostly just play video games. I like trying to learn new things all the time, mostly just for fun.

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What inspired you to learn data science with Eskwelabs?

Emer: I had been studying data science on my own through various online courses for quite some time before the bootcamp and while learning by yourself is definitely possible, I realized that being a part of an active community and being surrounded by other passionate individuals would really make learning easier. And it did! Add to that the fact that the bootcamp is now purely online due to the pandemic and easier to balance with work, it became an even more attractive option for me.

Janina: I chanced upon Eskwelabs while keeping myself busy during this pandemic. I really want to learn more about Python and gladly Eswelabs curriculum includes Python. It is a good opportunity for me to learn data science at the comfort of our own homes without quitting our day jobs. That is the game-changer for me.

Rob: There was a point where I felt that I was not growing in the career track that I chose, so for the past few months prior joining Eskwelabs, I was actually planning to resign from my job and do some much needed thinking about where I want my career to go. That moment was what led me to discover Data Science. After doing some research about it, I found out how cool a simple dataset can give you so much information and insights and also could even help people solve real world problems if done right. Also, the possible increase in compensation on the field (versus my current work) was a very welcome bonus. I started learning Data Science online mainly through MOOCs and articles but found the programming aspect difficult to learn so I looked for training and seminars being offered online and that's how I found out about the Eskwelabs' Data Science Fellowship.

Nox: After working for close to 10 years, I felt I wasn't too happy or fulfilled with my current career, so after a long period of reflection, I realized that I needed to shift careers. Data Science is one field that caught my attention since I have interest in and work experience handling data (mostly on Excel though) and deriving insights from it. However, having no background on programming and the programming language Python, I realized I needed to upskill myself to be able to proceed with my plan to shift careers. I decided to join a bootcamp, which is what led me to Eskwelabs.

Danilo: My primary goal in joining the bootcamp is to be able to learn the necessary skills and knowledge to land a data science-related job and improve my passion projects. I would also want to gain the skills to be able to join hackathons to further my knowledge in data science. Lastly, I want to be part of a community of equally-passionate and motivated individuals.

Ruth Ann: I fell in love with statistics when I worked with some statisticians in UP Diliman. I loved how they talk and how they answer questions through data, evidence, facts. Ever since then I have been amazed with the power of data to answer even the most confusing questions in our lives. A few years after I heard about Data Science but knowing how limited and expensive the training was being offered, I was afraid of investing into something out of curiosity because I am not privileged to try and fail. Until I lost my full-time job and I am at my lowest point in my life, I decided to pursue this one career path that I've been wanting to try and I am grateful I found Eskwelabs from the Shopee Code League Hackathon. I tried their bootcamp because my core values are aligned with theirs, using data for good, and it's bliss knowing you can learn and work with like-minded people.

Franz: I first heard of the Bootcamp from a friend and got interested. From there, the Bootcamp became an attractive step for me to take in order to grow and challenge myself while meeting new people. It was a way for me to learn, grow as a person and data scientist, and get myself out there!

Phonso: I joined mostly because I don't really know what I want to do with my life. I thought that learning Data Science would be really fun, and would be a useful tool in learning even more about other topics that I'm interested in. I also think that Data used properly in large organizations is one way to create a positive impact for large groups of people.

So come support your oppas and noonas on November 28st on their Demo Day!

Register for the event on this link here!