Sunni Raleigh ’22
Meet the Majors
Describe your major for someone who has never heard of your field before.
Statistics and data science are rapidly growing fields. Data scientists translate data, provide insights, and generate predictions; they help people access vast amounts of information in engaging ways. Most importantly, the fields of stats and data science are all about storytelling.
What’s your all-time (big or small) favorite Smith memory?
I love Night at Your Museum. It’s such a fun and lively event and it’s great to see everyone dressed up and to spend time with friends.
Did you ever have trouble deciding on a major? What, ultimately, helped you decide?
I was planning on being an engineering major, but then I didn’t get into a chemistry class first semester, so I went to an info session about SDS 192: Introduction to Data Science. I enrolled in 192, started pursuing the major and declared during my sophomore year. I really liked the energy of the department and coding in R.
Most importantly, the fields of stats and data sciences are all about storytelling.
What was your favorite class outside of your major?
Gender and Globalization with Dr. B is an amazing course where I made some of the biggest learning strides at Smith. The class fostered community really well and the connections I made with my peers were really special, especially considering it was taught over Zoom. And Dr. B is wonderful! I also really enjoyed Asian American Women Writers with Professor Hai. The readings were really interesting and I love engaging with texts like that.
What spot on campus will you miss the most?
Gardiner’s living room is my home. I love the friends I made and the relationships I built there.
If you could tell an incoming first-year anything about Smith, what would it be?
Prioritize your mental health. It’s okay to pass-fail a class. If you’re a person of color, do Bridge! (You’ll make your best friends and it will help you feel less lonely at this PWI—predominantly white institution).
