In the summer of 2016, the Veteran’s Administration approached me and asked if I would be interested in helping them implement machine learning. The VA was curious about the potential of machine learning, but was intimidated by the complex nature of it. My job was to make this advanced technology simple and approachable, something that I think I excel at.

In order to tackle this problem, I taught myself technologies such as Apache HDFS, Pig and Hive to become familiar with the big data paradigm that the VA operated under. I used the scikit-learn Python module and trained an algorithm using public CDC data, then worked with the VA in Palo Alto to explore potential applications of my newfound knowledge, such as identifying causes of infections that originate within the hospital. Knowing that the work I did caused real change within the VA brings a great sense of fulfillment to me, and I am grateful that I had this amazing opportunity to donate my work to a noble cause.