Samiya Ali MSBA 27

A woman wearing a black and white polka dot hijab and sunglasses on her head smiles in front of a brick wall and colorful flowers.

I chose UC Davis for its strong focus on real-world applications. The MSBA program made sense for me because it teaches both analytics and business thinking, and the practicum gives us the chance to solve actual problems for partner companies.

As a Bay Area native, I also love that the program is located in San Francisco, surrounded by leading tech and business organizations. I felt confident that UC Davis was where I could sharpen my skills, expand my network and further my career in analytics.

Student Leadership and Experience

  • Resident Assistant, Housing, Dining, & Auxiliary Enterprises, UC Santa Barbara
  • Historian, Black Student Union, UC Santa Barbara
  • President, East African Student Association, UC Santa Barbara

Previous Education

  • Bachelor of Science in Statistics and data science, University of California, Santa Barbara

Previous Work Experience

  • Project Controls Analyst Intern, Major Projects North, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E)
  • Data Science Intern, Data Science Lab - Office of the Chief Information Officer, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  • Data Science Peer Mentor, Office of Education Partnerships, University of California, Santa Barbara

Fun Facts

  • I have a minor in English.
  • I love trying new coffee and matcha shops.
  • I have a bengal cat named Sahara.