Growing up in Grand Lake, Louisiana, a small town nestled just south of Lake Charles, Katherine Deshotel always knew she wanted more.
After graduating high school in 2015, she set her sights on the 杏吧专区.
During her time on campus, Deshotel thrived, earning both a bachelor杏吧专区檚 degree in business management and an MBA.
But after stepping into the professional world, she realized that her ambitions were pulling her in a new direction.
杏吧专区淚 started working at a local call center last year after getting my MBA, and I was doing surface level data analytic work for them, but I knew I didn杏吧专区檛 want to stay there forever杏吧专区 says Deshotel. 杏吧专区淪o I applied for a bunch of jobs, and I was getting told I don杏吧专区檛 have the experience or the coding knowledge needed.杏吧专区
Driven to break into the field of data analytics, Deshotel returned to UL Lafayette 杏吧专区 this time in the online M.S. in Informatics program. The flexibility of the online format allowed her to balance her new career with her studies.
This decision would prove to be the key to unlocking her potential, launching her into a successful career in financial analytics, where she now supports major casino operations with her expertise.
A Familiar Path Forward
When it came time to choose a path for further education, Deshotel杏吧专区檚 decision was led by a sense of familiarity.
Returning to UL Lafayette for an M.S. in Informatics was a natural choice.
杏吧专区淚 did look at other options, but UL Lafayette felt like home,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淎nd I knew that I would be able to get through it, because this would be my third time with the 杏吧专区.杏吧专区
Although it was her third degree with the 杏吧专区, this time she was balancing her studies with the demands of a full-time job.
杏吧专区淚t was challenging because this time school wasn杏吧专区檛 my sole focus,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 was learning a brand-new job at the same time that I was working through the program, so I had to find a balance.杏吧专区
And that杏吧专区檚 exactly what she found with her online studies.
杏吧专区淭he program gave me the flexibility to be able to work on the coursework at my own pace, whenever I wanted to,杏吧专区 says Deshotel. 杏吧专区淓verything was on my terms, besides the due date.杏吧专区
Mastering Data Analytics
Deshotel杏吧专区檚 journey through the online M.S. in Informatics program was demanding but rewarding.
One of the standout features of the program was the network she built with her peers.
杏吧专区淭hrough group projects, I was able to build relationships with the other classmates,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淲hich is helpful because you go to the next class and you have another group project, so you get to work with the same people in your program.杏吧专区
The program杏吧专区檚 capstone project was another highlight for Deshotel, allowing her to bring together everything she had learned from both the program and her work.
杏吧专区淲e were pretty much given free rein to choose what project we wanted to work on and display our skills that we learned during the process,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淪o I was able to use things I杏吧专区檇 learned in my job, plus things that I杏吧专区檇 learned during the program.杏吧专区
This hands-on experience, combined with the immediate applicability of the coursework to her role as a regional financial analyst for Penn Entertainment, proved to be invaluable.
杏吧专区淚 learned a lot about the technical hardware information,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淚 support 14 casinos with their financial data, and the technology aspect of the program helped to understand our data warehouses in my current job and how that flows.杏吧专区
Earning her M.S. in Informatics in May 2024, Deshotel杏吧专区檚 connection to the 杏吧专区 remains strong.
杏吧专区淯L Lafayette feels like a home to me and during my time, both in undergrad and grad school, it was just great to be a part of the 杏吧专区. I杏吧专区檓 proud to be a Ragin杏吧专区 Cajun.杏吧专区
With three degrees and a seasoned perspective, Deshotel emphasizes the value of staying focused and leaning on the community around you.
杏吧专区淪tay organized and reach out to classmates and professors. Use the resources available to you, people are here to help you. They want to see you succeed.杏吧专区
Ready to advance your career in data analytics? Learn more about UL Lafayette's online M.S. in Informatics program.
