![\"Jessi](\"https:\/\/webapp.sunypoly.edu\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Jessi-Jaramillo-revised-1024x763.jpg\")
<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nWhen many tech companies were restructuring in 2023, Jessi decided it was the perfect moment to pivot. She researched graduate programs that would provide a solid grounding in statistical methods, design of experiments, and practical data science skills. SUNY Polytechnic Institute\u2019s Data Science and Analytics (DSA) program offered exactly what she was looking for, with the added benefit of being back in Central New York.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Now, as a graduate student, Jessi has thrown herself into projects that put her new skills to the test. She started as a research assistant at SUNY Poly\u2019s AI Exploration Center, supporting the center\u2019s development during its early phases. She currently works with the university\u2019s Center for Healthcare Innovation and Humanitarian Engineering, organizing and analyzing real-world healthcare data sets, including one focused on cognitive decline and dementia research.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
While Jessi admits her background in political science didn\u2019t include much math, she values how the DSA program breaks down complex topics. \u201cI really appreciate how our courses focus on the basics like statistical inference and experimental design. Without that, you can\u2019t build reliable models or interpret results accurately.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Outside of classes and research, Jessi finds balance, and adrenaline, on her mountain bike. She picked up the sport while living in California and is proud of her ability to \u201cget spicy on a bike,\u201d attacking climbs and chasing flow, complete with a few scars and concussions to prove it. \u201cIt taught me to stay focused and adaptable, qualities that help just as much in data science.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Jessi credits her DSA professors, like Dr. Bill Thistleton and Dr. Daniel Romero, for making the transition into a technical field smoother than expected. Their support and the program\u2019s hybrid flexibility have allowed her to keep pursuing hands-on research while planning for industry internships.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
For anyone thinking of switching gears mid-career, Jessi\u2019s advice is straightforward: \u201cDon\u2019t overthink it. If you\u2019re curious, learn the fundamentals, ask questions, and build from there. It\u2019s not about starting over, it\u2019s about adding a new skill set to what you already know.\u201d<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jessi Jaramillo\u2019s career has taken more turns than the average mountain bike trail, a fitting metaphor for someone who tackles both challenges with the same determination and quick learning. Originally from Brooklyn, Jessi moved upstate as a teenager and studied political science at SUNY Binghamton. She minored in Latin American studies, drawn by an interest … <\/p>\n