10 Years of Data 8: Stories from our Community by Data Science Undergraduate Studies

Mariah Rogers, B.A. '17

DSUS — 2025-09-19 21:10:01 UTC

I was one of the first ever course staff for Data 8--a cohort of TAs, none of whom had taken the class themselves, because it hadn't existed yet! It is hard to describe what an exciting time that was to help develop and refine the course content alongside the esteemed faculty and bring data science education to life in a widely accessible and approachable way for students of all backgrounds and disciplines. It is one of my all-time favorite experiences at Cal. I then went on to help found the Data Science major as program staff after graduation from the L&S Computer Science major and I mentored the first cohort of Data Science graduates through the major as the first Academic Advisor. My own career after departing the data science education program was largely shaped by these experiences, and I am now a Sr. Data and Analytics Engineer in industry and still obsessed with the data field! I still constantly share the Data 8 interactive course textbook with peers and network connections who are interested in taking their inferential thinking to the next level or getting into the data field, and I can't help but boast about the data science education program at UC Berkeley like a proud parent to anyone and everyone I get the opportunity to talk about it with.

Francie McQuarrie, B.A. '20

DSUS — 2025-09-19 21:11:03 UTC

I entered Berkeley in 2016 with a plan to major in Statistics because I liked math but thought I could get a job easier with this major than a math major. Worst comes to worst I’d become an actuary. At orientation, a Statistics counselor suggested I take Data8 my first semester to prep for CS61A since I has no coding experience. The first Data8 lecture was my first lecture on the first day of freshman year at UC Berkeley. In it, Professor Adhikari walked through an example of how analyzing the rate of sentences in Little Women was associated with the (now outdated) 140 character limit for a Tweet. My mind was blown - you could use data to find solutions in the real world? After that lecture, I knew my future was in Data Science. At the time, the DS major wasn’t available, so I pursued a combination of Statistics and Computer Science, and added the Data Science major my senior year. Now I work as a machine learning engineer at a tech company in the Bay Area, and I used techniques taught in Data100 everyday.

I liked Data8 so much that I was a tutor, UGSI, and a summer lecturer from my second semester freshman year to senior year. I also taught Stat88 and Data100 my senior year. I wanted to provide accessible ways to learn basic coding, statistical, and reasoning skills for everyone of all backgrounds.

Derek Topper, B.A. '19

DSUS — 2025-09-19 21:12:53 UTC

Data 8 was the most impactful class I took at Cal. It was the class that made me fall in love with data science and led to my career working for professional sports organizations as a data scientist. It taught me that data has the power to impact everything we do in society and how to better understand the world around me using numbers. It gave me the tools to understand how to look at information in a whole new way and contextualize the things that I was seeing in the world around me. I think that Data 8 is a phenomenal course and changed how I view the world.

Atticus Ginsborg, B.A. '24

DSUS — 2025-09-19 21:14:05 UTC

I took Data 8 because entering college I thought I was interested in sports analytics and it seemed Data Science might be the field for me. However I was apprehensive about the course since I'd not enjoyed high school statistics or computer science that much. By the end of that first semester I knew I'd made the right choice pursuing data science. Professor Wagner and Sahai did a great job at bridging the distance between us (this was on zoom) to really keep me engaged and interested in data science. My favorite part of the class though was the discussion section because I actually got to know some other students which was hard during Covid and because I had an amazing TA Ian Castro. At the end of the semester Ian encouraged me to become an academic intern for the course which was probably the biggest impact a single email had on me throughout my time at Berkeley. After a semester as an intern I realized I loved teaching intro Data Science especially because it meant unlike most classes I'd be working with students from all across campus. Over the next few years I joined course staff, became a TA, and eventually ended up lecturing Data 6. The fellow staff I worked with became some of my best friends from college. And all the students I taught had a tremendous impact on me as well; teaching me how to be a better teacher, what music was popular, and the importance of difference perspectives when solving problems. Taking and working for Data 8 quite literally changed my life as I'm now in grad school pursuing a Masters in Data Science and want to remain involved in the DS education space neither of which would be true without Data 8.

Rashmi Bhoj, B.A. '21

DSUS — 2025-09-19 21:17:21 UTC

Taking Data 8 catapulted me into a world of opportunity and discovery. As a sophomore, I took the course as a pre-Haas student, as a part of its required courses. Unexpectedly, I fell in love with the class. An analytical person myself, I was curious but lost about what academic route to take — so the fact that I could solve problems right at my fingertips fascinated me. Despite sometimes being in 1000 person classes, I always felt just as important as everyone else.

However as someone with no programming experience, I had major imposter syndrome, especially since some of my peers had years of programming experience. Plus, as a woman in these classes, I knew I would have to prove myself even more. I made a deal with myself that if I did well in CS 61A, one of the most difficult CS classes at Berkeley, I would bet on myself to pursue the major.

Next semester came and went, and I really surprised myself with how meaningful it was to dive into CS challenges again and again -- and prove that I was meant to be there and I had the analytical skillset to do so. Fast forward a few years, I completed my degree and entered the workforce. Diving deep in a technical role, I joined a small but mighty startup, working in dynamic pricing for MLB teams, such as the San Francisco Giants. I hit the ground running and made a big impact by constantly being curious.

UC Berkeley's data science program is exactly what instilled these skills in me -- the university teaches you resourcefulness because of its large student body and surrounds you with naturally curious and gifted peers.

Today, I feel so fortunate to be in a field that allows me to make a difference every day. Even now, the Berkeley alum community inspires me to reach new career milestones, even if we're no longer all in the same place. The education at this university and this program accelerates growth and serves as a cannon to reduce economic barriers, no matter anyone's background. Go Bears forever :)

Asbah Wasim, B.A. '25

2025-09-22 02:32:58 UTC

I came to Berkeley not even knowing what Data Science was. Out of curiosity, I took Data 8 in my first semester, and the class completely changed my perspective on the field. It showed me how data connects to real-world problems across so many disciplines, highlighting just how powerful and versatile it can be. That class sparked my interest and motivated me to continue exploring the field.

Data 8 not only sparked my passion for the field, but also inspired me to give back to the growing Data Science community at Berkeley. As a Data Science Peer Advisor—and later as Lead Peer Advisor—I guided over 2,000 students in navigating courses, research, and career opportunities, while training new peer advisors and fostering a supportive environment. I also served on course staff for various upper-division Data Science courses, where I evaluated assignments, provided feedback, and discussed pedagogy with instructors. Both roles deepened my understanding of the field while finding fulfillment from empowering others. Teaching and advising have been some of the most rewarding parts of my journey, reminding me that Data Science is not just about analyzing data, but also about building community and supporting the growth of those around us.

Andrew Kerr, B.A. '24

DSUS — 2025-09-22 17:49:01 UTC

I came into Berkeley as an Economics major with no idea what Data Science was. However, every one of my friends kept mentioning this class called Data 8, so I decided to give it a try my spring semester of freshman year. I was immediately immersed into this world of data manipulation and writing basic algorithms called functions. Yes, algorithms may seem like a daunting, black-box word, but Data 8 exposed me to how so many systems in our world are dependent on these algorithms. Without Data 8, I would have never become a Data Science major, or be currently on a Data Analytics Team at Goldman Sachs!

Claire Oh, B.A. ‘24

2025-09-23 21:19:07 UTC

I was an IEOR major for 2.5 years before Data 8 hit me like a truck and I transferred colleges in junior year. Data 8 articulated and made sense of the interest I had always had but could never put words to before! It was my favorite (and the best run) class at Berkeley.

Shoutout to all of the course staff I ever had or worked with. Shoutout to Matthew Shen who I threw a retirement party for (and made these cookies for) when I heard he wasn’t going to be on course staff any more and then he renewed his contract.

Matthew Lim, B.A. '25

matthewlim14 — 2025-09-24 01:39:41 UTC

As a community college transfer student passionate about data science, I was already familiar with Data 8 and much of its curriculum before officially enrolling at Berkeley. During my time at community college, I completed the online version through edX: "Berkeley Data8.1x: Data Science: Computational Thinking with Python," taught by award-winning faculty including Professors Adhikari, DeNero, and Wagner. This early exposure was particularly meaningful because data science courses - let alone Data 8 itself - are rarely offered at community colleges.

Having this foundation made me even more enthusiastic when I finally enrolled in the official course during the summer before my first semester at Berkeley. I was captivated by the lectures, from learning how John Snow harnessed data to trace the cholera outbreak to exploring fundamental machine learning concepts. The experience became even more enriching when I connected with members of the summer course staff, who ultimately inspired me to join the Data Science Society - a club that now holds a special place in my heart.

Data 8 remains one of my favorite courses to date, and I'm confident it will continue to inspire future students who have the opportunity to take it.

Nicole Inga, B.A '26

2025-10-08 20:48:45 UTC

When I first came to Berkeley, I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I had a wide range of interests and wasn’t sure where to start. I remember being indecisive whether to take Data 8 and CS10. Since I had little to no coding experience, I decided to go with Data 8 after hearing great things about it from people in my circle who were also taking it. Looking back, I’m really glad I made that choice.

That said, it was definitely more challenging than I expected. I think coming in with no background in coding is what it was, but I pushed through. The projects and the support from the course staff helped me learn so much, and I came out of the class with skills that have really helped me in upper-division courses. Before taking Data 8, I didn’t even know what data science was, but the class opened my eyes to the field and made me realize how powerful it is.

I ended up adding an Economics major too, and having that foundation in data science has made the transition into econ much smoother. I’m super grateful I enrolled in this course because it really shaped my academic path. Now, as I get ready to graduate, I can say with confidence that Data 8 was one of the most impactful decisions I made at Berkeley.