Posted on August 28, 2024 by UTSA School of Data Science
School of Data Science students wrap up summer internship with community non-profits
The Data Science & AI Community Innovations Scholars program recently concluded its inaugural summer internship, a 10-week paid opportunity for students to gain real-world experience. This program, collaboration between the UTSA School of Data Science and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, placed 13 data science students at five local nonprofit organizations.
By participating in the internship, students received invaluable on-the-job training, said Simon Salas, CEO of Good Samaritan Community Services, one of the five participating nonprofit groups.
“This program allows students to gain their own insights into how data collection and analysis are conducted in real-world situations and offered them the opportunity to develop a different skillset as they enter the workforce,” he said.
The opportunity is even more unique than it might first appear. While many data science students prepare to enter careers in government or the tech industry, working with nonprofits presents its own challenges.
“We had multiple non-profits with various levels of data maturity, all wanting different levels of data analysis from the students,” said Arkajyoti Roy, assistant professor of management science and statistics and faculty advisor to the Community Innovations Scholars Program.
This means, he explains, that each team of students faced different tasks based on the needs of the site they were working at. Some organizations, for example, had limited datasets while others had more advanced or more robust ones. Some organizations needed answers to organizational-level decision-making questions, while others needed more predictive models to help serve individual clients. To meet these varying needs, students spent much of their time collecting, cleaning, and merging data – if they were lucky, that is.
“For some teams, data quantity/quality limitation posed a significant challenge where the students had to pivot their original goals to provide usable insights,” Roy said. “This internship has provided these students with an excellent experience of dealing with real world data while managing client expectations.”
While the circumstances at each nonprofit site presented interns with unique challenges, the experience was never overwhelming says Roshon Williams a senior computer engineering major who was placed at United Way.
“This project was very challenging at times, but it was fun to make all the metaphorical puzzle pieces fit together,” he said. “And anytime someone ran into an issue, a member of the program was eager to jump in and help.”
Despite the challenges, students can feel proud knowing they all made a difference in their community. From software tools to improved data collection processes, many of the interns were able to leave their nonprofit sites better equipped to complete their missions.
And that, at the end of the day, is what matters says senior business analytics student, Ashmal Ali, who was placed with Respite Care of San Antonio.
“These non-profits can find ways to help even though they might not have the most funding or resources,” he said. “The people working there are very hardworking and the work they do truly helps the people of the community and the families they help.”
Based upon feedback from the students and nonprofit sites, the Community Innovation Scholars Program is expected to return and expand over the next two years.
“I believe this is an excellent program for UTSA students,” Roy said, “providing valuable skills and experience for becoming data analysts of the future. I expect to see even more demand from students and non-profits, both, for future iterations of this program.”
To learn more about the UTSA School of Data Science and its programs, visit https://sds.utsa.edu/.
-Christopher Reichert
— UTSA School of Data Science
