Berkeley data science alumni help fund the future of Data 8

As Data 8 marks its 10-year anniversary, three alumni — Francie McQuarrie (B.A. ’20), Shoumik Jamil (B.A. ’19) and Angela Guan (B.A. ’21) — are helping propel the course into its next decade by providing launch gifts for the Data 8 10-Year Anniversary Crowdfund.

For each, Data 8 was more than an introduction to data science, it was the start of something bigger. The course sparked passions, opened doors and set them on paths that continue to unfold in their careers today.

An emphasis on critical, and adaptable, thinking

For McQuarrie, the magic started on her very first day of freshman year. She still remembers Professor Ani Adhikari’s opening lecture, where data was used to analyze classic literature and Twitter character limits.

“It showed how you could find interesting insights through data in places you didn’t expect,” she said. “That changed the course of my college career and life.”

Encouraged by her TA, she joined course staff the next semester, later becoming a student instructor and eventually a summer lecturer. She loved that Data 8 emphasized critical thinking over logic puzzles, making the subject more inclusive for students with a variety of skills and interests. 

Now a machine learning engineer at Adobe, McQuarrie credits Data 8 with helping her adapt in a fast-evolving field. 

“The data science curriculum taught me to think in a way that’s adaptable, even as the specific technologies change,” she said. 

Her contribution to the anniversary fund, she said, honors the course that opened those doors. 

“I wanted to make sure there are resources to allow other students to get those same data literacy skills and apply them in any way they want.”

Lessons in risk

When Jamil started at Berkeley, he had never written a line of code. Programming felt intimidating, until the same Data 8 demonstration that captivated McQuarrie changed his outlook.

“I was blown away,” he said. “Professor DeNero wasn’t writing a lot of code, and he was doing it live. That made it seem like anyone can do data science.”

Jamil joined the course staff soon after, where he discovered how much he enjoyed breaking complex concepts into clear, approachable lessons.

Now a growth engineer at Gusto, he uses those same skills every day. He supports colleagues who are less familiar with data, drawing on the patience and clarity he honed as a student instructor. 

“Sometimes I even use those techniques for myself,” he said. “Breaking something down to learn it.”

Giving to the anniversary fund, he explained, felt like a way to give back to the program that encouraged him to take risks, including in his career.

“I took a risk on a major that was still being built,” Jamil said. “The experience showed me it’s okay to do something that isn’t prescribed. There’s a creativity in data science that’s underrated.”

Finding confidence and community

When Angela Guan arrived at Berkeley, she was gripped by imposter syndrome so strongly that she avoided walking past the engineering library. But in Data 8, she found a welcoming community focused on learning, not competition.

Inspired by the supportive faculty and student instructors, Guan joined course staff. She taught for more than six semesters, through her undergraduate degree and master’s. Each role came with mentorship and growth, preparing her to take on new responsibilities.

“That funnel helped me grow so much,” Guan said. “I developed communication skills, leadership skills, a sense of ownership, and how to give and get feedback. It built my confidence.”

Today, as a product manager at Microsoft, Guan draws on those same skills to guide teams adopting new AI tools and bridging data insights with business goals. Supporting the anniversary campaign, she said, was a natural way to give back to the community that shaped her.

“I’m really thankful for everything Berkeley’s data science program has done for me,” she said. “I love the community, and this is my way of paying it forward.”

Carrying the legacy forward

For McQuarrie, Jamil and Guan, Data 8 was more than a class. It was a launchpad for new skills, confidence and wide-open possibilities.

Their gifts to the Data 8 10-Year Anniversary Crowdfund are both a thank-you and an investment in a course that continues to inspire students across Berkeley to discover new ways of seeing the world.

Join them in celebrating 10 years of Data 8 and help keep that spirit of discovery alive at cdss.berkeley.edu/dsus/data8anniversary.