Growing up in Grand Lake, Louisiana, a small town just south of Lake Charles, Katherine Deshotel always knew she wanted more.
After finishing 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 workforce, she realized that her ambitions were pulling her in a new direction.
杏吧专区淚 started working at a local call center after getting my MBA. I was doing surface level data work, 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 was told I don杏吧专区檛 have 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 online format allowed her to balance her new career with her studies.
This decision would launch her into a financial analytics career, supporting major casinos with her skillset.
A Familiar Path Forward
When it came time to choose a program, Deshotel went with the familiar choice.
杏吧专区淚 looked at other options, but UL Lafayette felt like home,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淚 knew I would be able to get through it, because this would be my third time as a student.杏吧专区
But this time she was balancing her studies with the demands of a full-time job. The challenge, she says, was learning the new role while working through the program.
"I knew I had to find a balance,杏吧专区 she says. And that杏吧专区檚 exactly what she found with her online studies.
杏吧专区淭he program allowed me to do 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 Online
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 connect with my classmates,杏吧专区 she says. 杏吧专区淭hat's helpful because in the next class you'll have another group project, so you get to work with the people in your program.杏吧专区
Her capstone project was another highlight for Deshotel. She was able to bring together all she learned from both the program and her work.
杏吧专区淲e were given free rein to choose a project showcasing the skills we gained,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淚 was able to use things I杏吧专区檇 learned in my job, plus things I杏吧专区檇 learned in the program.杏吧专区
This hands-on experience, combined with the relevance of the coursework to her work as a regional financial analyst, proved to be useful.
杏吧专区淚 learned a lot about technical hardware,杏吧专区 she recalls. 杏吧专区淚 support 14 casinos with their data. The tech aspect of the program helped me 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 roots remain strong.
杏吧专区淯L Lafayette feels like home to me. In both undergrad and grad school, it was just great to be a part of. 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 new outlook, Deshotel stresses the value of staying focused and leaning on your network.
杏吧专区淪tay organized and reach out to classmates and professors. Use the resources, people are here to help you. They want to see you succeed.杏吧专区
Ready to advance your career? Learn more about UL Lafayette's online M.S. in Informatics program.
