My name is Rhea Malhotra and I’m from Ashburn, Virginia. I am a freshman at William & Mary. I plan on majoring in computer science with a minor in public health or kinesiology. I recently took an interest in programming after taking a few beginner classes in high school and am fascinated with data science. Besides that, I love practicing yoga and I’m certified to teach. I was the founder of the yoga club in high school and had the incredible opportunity to teach kids and people with disabilities. I also love to travel. My wanderlust has led me to different parts of the world, some being Austria, Spain, Italy, and France. I hope to eventually study abroad, continuing to meet new people from different cultures while experiencing different styles of teaching.
To me, data science is a catalyst of change, allowing scientists to gain insight and meaning out of data to then use towards real-world issues. Through data science and analytics, we can better understand the trends in data to find practical solutions in ways that can help people in need. In terms of the environment, data science techniques have been used to study the impacts of climate change to predict future trends. Data science can also be used to help economists solve societal issues and help them better understand how the economy works and changes. With the largest amount of data ever available to us, we have the capability to capture, analyze, and utilize it to find solutions to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. I’m excited to learn more and I’m looking forward to a great semester!