Growing up in Grand Lake, Louisiana, a small town nestled just south of Lake Charles, Katherine Deshotel always knew she wanted more.
After graduating high school in 2015, she set her sights on the СAPP.
During her time on campus, Deshotel thrived, earning both a bachelorСAPPs degree in business management and an MBA.
But after stepping into the professional world, she realized that her ambitions were pulling her in a new direction.
СAPPI started working at a local call center last year after getting my MBA, and I was doing surface level data analytic work for them, but I knew I didnСAPPt want to stay there foreverСAPP says Deshotel. СAPPSo I applied for a bunch of jobs, and I was getting told I donСAPPt have the experience or the coding knowledge needed.СAPP
Driven to break into the field of data analytics, Deshotel returned to UL Lafayette СAPP this time in the online M.S. in Informatics program. The flexibility of the online format allowed her to balance her new career with her studies.
This decision would prove to be the key to unlocking her potential, launching her into a successful career in financial analytics, where she now supports major casino operations with her expertise.
A Familiar Path Forward
When it came time to choose a path for further education, DeshotelСAPPs decision was led by a sense of familiarity.
Returning to UL Lafayette for an M.S. in Informatics was a natural choice.
СAPPI did look at other options, but UL Lafayette felt like home,СAPP she says. СAPPAnd I knew that I would be able to get through it, because this would be my third time with the СAPP.СAPP
Although it was her third degree with the СAPP, this time she was balancing her studies with the demands of a full-time job.
СAPPIt was challenging because this time school wasnСAPPt my sole focus,СAPP she says. СAPPI was learning a brand-new job at the same time that I was working through the program, so I had to find a balance.СAPP
And thatСAPPs exactly what she found with her online studies.
СAPPThe program gave me the flexibility to be able to work on the coursework at my own pace, whenever I wanted to,СAPP says Deshotel. СAPPEverything was on my terms, besides the due date.СAPP
Mastering Data Analytics
DeshotelСAPPs journey through the online M.S. in Informatics program was demanding but rewarding.
One of the standout features of the program was the network she built with her peers.
СAPPThrough group projects, I was able to build relationships with the other classmates,СAPP she says. СAPPWhich is helpful because you go to the next class and you have another group project, so you get to work with the same people in your program.СAPP
The programСAPPs capstone project was another highlight for Deshotel, allowing her to bring together everything she had learned from both the program and her work.
СAPPWe were pretty much given free rein to choose what project we wanted to work on and display our skills that we learned during the process,СAPP she recalls. СAPPSo I was able to use things IСAPPd learned in my job, plus things that IСAPPd learned during the program.СAPP
This hands-on experience, combined with the immediate applicability of the coursework to her role as a regional financial analyst for Penn Entertainment, proved to be invaluable.
СAPPI learned a lot about the technical hardware information,СAPP she recalls. СAPPI support 14 casinos with their financial data, and the technology aspect of the program helped to understand our data warehouses in my current job and how that flows.СAPP
Earning her M.S. in Informatics in May 2024, DeshotelСAPPs connection to the СAPP remains strong.
СAPPUL Lafayette feels like a home to me and during my time, both in undergrad and grad school, it was just great to be a part of the СAPP. IСAPPm proud to be a RaginСAPP Cajun.СAPP
With three degrees and a seasoned perspective, Deshotel emphasizes the value of staying focused and leaning on the community around you.
СAPPStay organized and reach out to classmates and professors. Use the resources available to you, people are here to help you. They want to see you succeed.СAPP
Ready to advance your career in data analytics? Learn more about UL Lafayette's online M.S. in Informatics program.
