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When Cassandra Pray ’17 was an undergraduate student at the University of New Haven, she decided to major in mathematics because she enjoyed using critical thinking and logic to solve problems.

“Becoming skilled at math means you are skilled at many types of problem solving, whether it’s directly mathematical or not,” she said. “For me, a degree in math meant a wide range of career possibilities.”

After graduating from last year with a master’s degree in applied mathematics, she began working for , a nonprofit consulting firm based in Virginia, where she currently serves as a data science analyst

"Get involved with research or explore internship opportunities. The undergraduate research project I worked on with Dr. El Turkey was immensely helpful as an experiential learning opportunity."Cassanda Pray '17

Pray, who describes her role as a “public trust clearance position,” works with mathematical models for LMI’s government clients. She hopes to continue to gain experience in the field of mathematical modeling, and aspires to become an operations research analyst.

“The math curriculum at the University of New Haven prepared me for graduate school, in particular, because I gained a great deal of applied math knowledge,” she said. “I was also very well prepared for my career, since I knew how to use various software tools – something that is essential.

As a member of the University’s math and physics club, Pray enjoyed meeting other students who were studying in the STEM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The activities they took part in together, including a trip to the , stood out as some of her favorite memories from her time as a Charger.

“Get involved with research or explore internship opportunities,” she encourages. “The undergraduate research project I worked on with Dr. El Turkey was immensely helpful as an experiential learning opportunity. Conferences are also great for networking and for learning about current research and activities in the field.”