#IamUCI: Nikhil Koka ’24, M.S., business analytics
When Nikhil Koka began studying business administration during his undergraduate years, he realized that he could still enjoy his lifelong passion for storytelling if he worked in business analytics. “When looking at data points, you kind of get a lot of jumbled numbers and values that might mean nothing when just looking at it,” Koka said. “But when you start to see a trend, it paints a picture. When you dive into the data, it tells a story about what’s really going on. Then we can try to replicate trends and create an impact.” After earning his master’s degree, Koka plans to work in music streaming, sports or healthcare.
#IamUCI: Michael J. Donaldson ’24, M.A., teaching
Michael J. Donaldson spent 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, but helping his son with math homework during the COVID-19 pandemic led him to think about changing careers. He retired from the military and applied to the School of Education, where he will receive his master’s degree in teaching during this weekend’s commencement ceremonies. Donaldson also hopes to give back to the campus’ veteran community, which has supported him as he navigates the transition from the military to education. “UCI has a great veterans organization that helped me figure out how to use my veterans benefits to aid my education,” he says. “I’m really thankful for what they’ve done, and it’s something that I want to give back to later on.”
#UCIconnected spotlights interesting updates from the UC Irvine community. #IamUCI spotlights profiles of students, faculty, staff and alumni. Send submissions via email or post on social media with the #UCIconnected or #IamUCI hashtags.
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