Jordyn Gerstle-Goodman (Info Mgmt, Fin ’21; MSBA’22)
Organization Development Data Analyst Intern, Disney
When she applied for an internship with Disney, Jordyn Gerstle-Goodman knew what kind of odds she was up against.
“I told myself if I just got to the first round of interviews, that’s an accomplishment,” she said.
Four rounds of interviews later, Gerstle-Goodman had the kind of experience any student dreams of—in exactly the field she’s passionate about (people analytics), with a supportive team that challenged her to grow. It’s gone so well that the fall position was extended through the spring.
“Disney is very encouraging of career exploration—there are senior vice presidents who will take time out of their days just to talk to interns and try to get them hired,” she said.
Her Disney internship is Gerstle-Goodman’s fourth; most of them have revolved around an interest in data science she developed at Leeds.
“I originally wanted to be a corporate attorney, but in the middle of my undergrad, I learned about this career, data scientist, that I’d never heard of before,” she said. “I thought it was the coolest thing ever, to play with statistics and math and algorithms in business.”
Most data scientists have graduate degrees that prepare them for the advanced statistical and modeling techniques they use at work, so Gerstle-Goodman pursued the one-year master’s in Business Analytics immediately after completing her Leeds bachelor’s degree.
“My graduate classes have gone far beyond what I learned in my undergrad,” she said. “I’m sure my career will start as an analyst, but with what I’ve learned, I think I’ll be able to get to that level much more quickly than I otherwise might have.”
An enthusiastic traveler who’s visited nearly 40 states, Gerstle-Goodman received scholarship support to help finance her degree, including one from Alteryx that’s closely aligned to her career goals.
“My goal is to do work that helps everyone feel that they’re represented and belong.”
Jordyn Gerstle-Goodman (Info Mgmt, Fin’21; MSBA’22)
“The money obviously helps, but there are also these great learning opportunities,” she said. “I get to attend coding boot camps and have access to Alteryx tools, in addition to job opportunities.”
She’s also a member of the Diverse Scholars Program, which aligns with her goal of using people analytics to improve equality in business.
“My goal is to do work that helps everyone feel that they’re represented and belong,” she said. “I really see that as being an area that will really benefit companies, both in an HR capacity and in improving their customers’ experience.”