KSU Alumnus Finds Success At Equifax

Press release from Kennesaw State University:

Feb 1, 2021

KSU alumnus finds success at Equifax

Jessica Reyes

KENNESAW, Ga.
(Feb 1, 2021) — Only months after earning a degree in computational and applied mathematics, Jessica Reyes is making waves in the data science industry and giving back to the
academic program that set her on her path to success.

As a data scientist at Equifax, Reyes leverages her skills in data and analytics to
understand financial lending trends in mortgage and auto industries and to provide
her clients with sound decision-making.

She participates in the company’s Rotational Development Program, a two-year transitional
program for students who just graduated from college that allows them to attend training
sessions and ask executives questions while also being exposed to several different
teams at the company.

“I really like the program because I’m learning about the company and data science
industry from people who are really experienced,” Reyes said.

Although Reyes has only worked at Equifax for a few months, she has already found
ways to apply her research studies in her professional life. Last month, a research
paper she coauthored with her peer, Maharshi Pandya, was presented at the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Big Data Conference, describing the
data science project they finished during their 2019 IBM internship. The paper focused
on how to extract key information from documents that load into a recommendation system
comparable to that of Facebook or Netflix that generates news articles or movie suggestions
relevant to the user.

“Attending conferences outside of work allows me to continue to learn from people
and share knowledge so that I can go into my job and be that much better at what I
do,” Reyes said.

Reyes is now leveraging her professional success, giving back to the University by
mentoring students who are in the same position she was in just four years ago. A
first-generation college student, Reyes credits her success to her mentors at KSU
who inspired her and helped land her job, ultimately influencing her decision to return.
Recently, she assisted with a virtual open house hosted by the College of Science
and Mathematics, where she shared her experience at KSU and answered questions from
prospective and current students.

“It was such a great experience to virtually share my experience at KSU and have that
window for aspiring or current KSU students to reach out to me if they had any questions
or take my advice,” Reyes said. “Not having experience with higher education before,
my outlook is brand new, and now that I’m removed from the university, I can serve
as a success story and help students power through and achieve what they want to achieve.”

Reyes first caught the advising bug during her junior and senior year at KSU, when
she attended the First Gen Owls club and was a student mentor for a Coca-Cola First Gen Scholars event, where she answered
questions and had conversations with first-generation freshmen about internships,
resources and networking. When her younger brother’s friends began asking for her
advice regarding the University, she made it her mission to offer the same support
to incoming students at KSU.

“I help because I’ve been there before,” said Reyes. “I remember vividly going through
the university and experiencing everything for the first time. The support I’ve received
from my mentors pushed me to provide that same support to students so they don’t feel
as alone. I want them to feel confident about what they want to do after college and
know it’s attainable.”

Next month, Reyes will return to KSU virtually as an Equifax representative for the
STEM Job, Internship and Co-op Fair, hosted by the Department of Career Planning and Development.

– Josh Milton

Submitted photo

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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers more than 150 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 41,000 students. With 11 colleges on two metro Atlanta campuses, Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia and the second-largest university in the state. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the region and from 126 countries across the globe. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 6 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.

This press release was produced by Kennesaw State University. The views expressed here are the author’s own.