Hi, I’m Chris.

And I believe that the human factor of data must be prioritized and that data can be used to change everything, for better or worse.

I perpetually seek out new things to learn and new ways to grow as a person. Being autistic and having ADHD are two parts of my recipe that contribute to my tendency to obsess over the little things, ultimately see the bigger picture, and fuel my curiosity as I hyperfocus on a regular basis.

What Is My Background?

My academic background has varied throughout the years. I graduated with a BA in Liberal Studies (with concentrations in Political Science, Business Foundations, and Studio Art) from the University of Houston. However, I began, then quit, an MS in Information Technology program as the school did not fit my values and I could no longer fathom the reality that my degree would be associated with said school had I completed my coursework.

More recently, I enrolled at Boston University’s innovative MS in Data Science program.

Why Did You Decide To Do This Program?

At a very basic level, information and the pursuit of knowledge have always been of interest to me. Ever since I was young, the internet was always a source of new information and new things to learn. Whether it was by meeting new and interesting people on online gaming platforms or using a combination of Google and Wikipedia, I always enjoyed learning something new and, more importantly, doing so outside of the confines of school. To be honest, to understand why I chose to do this program, I have another story to tell, first.

What Story? And What About School?

Though I always enjoyed pursuing knowledge, I did not thrive during my experiences in K-12 primary and secondary education. An unfortunate combination of my, then, undiagnosed physical, mental, and neurodivergent disabilities and financial stressors. These disabilities and financial circumstances made it extremely difficult for me to acknowledge my love for learning. When teachers and peers, alike, would ridicule me, school was a source of fear, rather than one of learning.

After I graduated from high school, I did receive my initial autism diagnosis, one that changed the trajectory of my life. It was the beginning of my growth journey, one where I did not necessarily care about my past because I was confident that I could build a new future for myself. And I did. I would join student organizations at community college and, eventually, graduated with a 4.0 GPA from both community college and the University of Houston. But, throughout this time and, even into today, something changed.

What Was That Change?

Simply put, I began to lose that spark that made me feel confident in my uniqueness. After taking two years and taking out a lot of student loan debt for graduate school before finding a job, I was worn out. How could a 4.0 GPA student not get opportunities to work? Why was it so difficult for me? Throughout this period of time, I began to feel extreme bouts of depression and anxiety and my mental and physical health became infinitely worse. I eventually gained 30 pounds and became chronically ill with asthma and a particularly debilitating form of chronic sinusitis - conditions that I still experience today. I was at my lowest point and, often times, dreamt of what a world without me would be like - at the time, I genuinely believed that the world would be better off and, even more importantly, that I would feel better off by not existing at all.

When I finally got a job offer, I worked hard, I worked smart, and I still do this, of course. But the insecurities of the past have, unfortunately, lingered, as have the disabilties and chronic health conditions. The past 6 years of my life, since my family lost our home and changed my trajectory to one where constant anxiety became the norm, have been rough, even as I have grown as a person and gained work experience. But that’s why I also decided to shift things and join this program.

So why did you really join this program?

Boston University’s Online MS in Data Science has promised that we, the students, will learn what we need to, not only be competitive in the job market but, also, the skills necessary to be future-forward. As someone who is stil so traumatized and stuck in my past and, at the same time, has always loved to learn, doing this program will be a very big change in my life, but also likely a positive one. I look forward to learning about new techniques, new technologies, and new concepts related to data science.

Most importantly, I wish to be able to solve problems using data - something that I seldom had the opportunity to do in the past. I want to know why so many things, such as:

  • Why are so many neurodivergent and, particularly, autistic, people so prone to depression, anxiety and suicide?
    I could make an educated guess but only with data can we truly understand this cause-and-effect relationship.
  • Why is addiction so prevalent in fellow trans and queer people? Is it because of our high rates of mental illness and trauma? Again, I could make an educated guess, especially drawing on personal experience, but this method only goes so far without data to back it up.

To me, learning data science is an opportunity to, not only grow my current data analysis career but it is also a way for me to deconstruct my current ways of thinking that inhibit my ability to thrive. Instead, I can choose to let my mind wander through analysis techniques and help in solving problems. Knowing how to complex business problems will also give me a framework and methodology to solve those of my own - at least that’s what I believe will be the case.

Conclusion

If you have made it this far, thank you so much for reading! It does mean the world to me to be able to share my story and to be able to be open, in some way, about my insecurities and vulnerabilities. I am often told that I need to keep things, particularly my writing, simple, but I also remember how my English teachers at community college, as well as those beyond, would commend me for my unique writing style. Everyone learns differently, and everyone writes differently, and so I can only hope that what I have written here will aid you in learning more about me and, hopefully, encourage you to be kinder, gentler, and more willing to accommodate people who are different.

Salamat (thank you), Chris Fornesa