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Mathematics major Ruvi Jaimes ’22 has completed two data science internships, in which she created an app and learned how to use data visualization software such as Tableau.

She’s now considering a data science career – but first, she’s planning a giant party to celebrate being the first person in her family to graduate from college. Jaimes also is president of the Math Club and unwinds by dancing at a studio near campus.

What Advice Would You Give to Incoming First-Generation College Students?

It’s ok if you don’t know what you want to major in, even if it seems like other people know exactly what they want to do. You have time to figure it out, and you can’t decide what you like until you try it. So I would tell first-gen students not to feel pressure to know exactly what they want to do.

How Did You Choose Your Major?

Since I was little, math was the subject where I was most consistently successful. When I got to college, I didn’t know what to major in, but I kept taking math classes because I enjoyed them. Eventually my professor, Dr. Mitch Phillipson, suggested that I major in math. I had thought the only job a math major could have was teaching, but he told me that math majors are trained to solve hard problems, which is a skill you need in pretty much any job.

What’s an Important Life Lesson You’ve Learned at St. Edward’s?

While your grades and academics are a core purpose of college, it’s also really important to make and keep connections with the people you meet. Most of my opportunities, including my current internship, have come through people I know. Build relationships with professors, because they can give you recommendations. And students in your classes can tell you about opportunities you didn’t know about.

What Do You Do for Fun?

I love going to Zilker Park and then jumping into Barton Springs. Having a picnic in Zilker, with the backdrop of the skyline and the sunset, is such a peaceful and joyful moment for me. I also take bachata classes at a studio near campus called Inspired Movement. After class there’s a social where they play music and you just dance, and it’s such a fun way to de-stress.

Photography and Video by Chelsea Purgahn