#PointParkWorks: Meet Celina DiPietro, IT Major and Co-op Employee for Data Analytics Company Friday, August 12, 2016

Meet Celina DiPietro

Title: Data Scientist Co-op Student Employee
Organization: Othot
Major: Information Technology
Expected graduation: Spring 2017
College activities: Women's Basketball Team
Scholarships from Point Park: Athletic Scholarship, Founders Scholarship and George E. Marin IT and Business Undergraduate Scholarship
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
High school: Bishop Canevin High School
Hobbies/interests: Cooking, working out, trying new restaurants around the city and listening to music
LinkedIn: Celina DiPietro

Tell us about your co-op experience this summer with Othot.

So far this summer has been awesome and I have already learned so much at Othot. Working for a startup company gives you a lot of hands-on experience, which is what I wanted to gain from the co-op program. My job responsibilities include using machine learning algorithms on sets of data to produce results, analyzing data sets, participating in weekly meetings, sending weekly status reports and running ODSL scripts in JSON.

What do you think makes the co-op program at Point Park unique?

I think that the co-op program is unique because along with doing work at the office, I am also required to do a couple of other assignments. So, unlike an internship, I am getting additional experience and practice in several areas. Every Friday, I blog at it.pointpark.edu about my work week. I include things in the blog like what I have been working on for the week, any problems I encountered, significant accomplishments achieved and projects I will be working on next week.

Also, I wrote a memorandum around week five to give some explanation on what I have learned and accomplished so far. At the end of the term, I have to write a final paper about my overall experience, which is something that I'm very interested in writing. All of these assignments help me keep track of what I have done so far. It is pretty cool to see my progress throughout the week.

Why would you recommend the co-op program at Point Park?

I recommend the co-op program because you get to earn credits and get paid at the same time! Who would want to pass that up? Doing co-op helps you get more comfortable with the interviewing process, gives you a lot of experience working full time in an office and looks great on a resume. It also gives you a look ahead into the future and helps you figure out what you want to be doing after graduation.

How have your information technology classes helped you in your co-op role?

All of my information technology courses have helped me, but particularly my Business Analytics course with Professor Mark Voortman. He is very knowledgeable about everything involving technology. He keeps his courses updated with the latest trends in the job field, tailoring his classes toward what companies are looking for in their employees.

What factors made you choose Point Park?

Being from Pittsburgh, I wanted to stay close to home while continuing my basketball career. My decision to choose Point Park was finalized after being offered an athletic scholarship. Also, I love being in the city because there are a number of things to do. I can say that I am never bored while I am at school. There are constantly events going on whether they are in the city or at Point Park, making it a great atmosphere overall.

What are your career goals?

I hope one day to be a successful businesswoman working as a data scientist or in a field related to it. I would like to work for a big company, maybe one that would have me traveling sometimes. Overall, I just want to be happy and enjoy what I will be doing in the future.

Is there anything else you'd like to add?

A big thank you to my advisor and professor, Dr. Mark Voortman, for helping make this experience possible for me!

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