{"id":82473,"date":"2024-10-17T10:34:25","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T14:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/?p=82473"},"modified":"2025-08-25T10:40:15","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T14:40:15","slug":"mssp-feature-with-annika-balk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/mssp-feature-with-annika-balk\/","title":{"rendered":"MSSP Feature with Annika Balk"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
Name: Annika Balk<\/strong>
Pronouns: She\/Her<\/strong>
Home Country: New York, United States<\/strong>
Field of Study: MS Statistical Practice<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Annika Balk, from New York, United States <\/span>\u00a0is expected to complete her master\u2019s in Statistical Practice in May 2025. We sat down with Annika to take a deep dive into her journey and give her advice to fellow GRS students in this exclusive Q&A session.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What initially drew you to this field? How did your experiences (academic or\u00a0 professional) solidify your passion for this area of study?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“I\u2019ve always loved how data and statistics can apply to any field. Every company, job, and\u00a0 industry ultimately revolves around data and what it reveals. During my undergrad, I took a\u00a0 statistical inference class and worked on a project using NHL data. That experience sparked my\u00a0 passion for learning more about statistics. <\/span><\/p>\n

What are your career goals after completing this program, and how do you think this\u00a0 degree will help you achieve them?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“My goal is to work as a statistical consultant or as a biostatistician in the Biopharma industry,\u00a0 and I believe the MSSP program is the perfect fit. One of the standout features is its consulting\u00a0 firm, where I get hands-on experience as a student consultant for various departments. Right\u00a0 now, I\u2019m helping analyze data from a neurodegenerative disease study\u2014how cool! These experiences not only strengthen my statistical abilities but also enhance my communication\u00a0 skills, helping me effectively convey technical information to non-technical or non-statistical\u00a0 audiences. The frequent presentations we\u2019re required to do have greatly improved my public\u00a0 speaking skills and boosted my confidence in explaining statistical methodologies. <\/span><\/p>\n

How do you think BU helped you to achieve success so far and how do you think it\u2019s\u00a0 going to contribute to your future?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“In just a few months, I\u2019ve already felt the power of BU\u2019s network. MSSP really delivers if you\u2019re\u00a0 willing to put in the work and invest in your future. The mentorship I\u2019ve received from the\u00a0 professors of practice has been huge. I regularly stop by Professor Haviland Wright\u2019s office to\u00a0 chat about job opportunities, get life advice, or go over technical questions for interviews. I\u2019ve\u00a0 felt supported through every part of my academic and career journey.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just Haviland, both Masanao Yajima and Fotios Kokkotos have also been really helpful,\u00a0 sharing advice from their own experiences and giving me tools to grow my network and expand\u00a0 my knowledge. I know that even after MSSP, my mentors won\u2019t disappear\u2014they stay connected\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>with alumni, even those who graduated more than five years ago. Knowing that I\u2019ll have that continued support has been invaluable.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some opportunities and resources at BU that you\u2019ve utilized and would\u00a0 recommend others to leverage during their time at BU that will significantly benefit them?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“For anyone looking to break into tech or a data-related field, BU offers a program called the\u00a0 \u201cData Science Mentorship Circles,\u201d which you can apply to in late summer. If accepted, you get\u00a0 to connect with established data scientists who graduated from BU and now work in technical\u00a0 roles. This year alone, at least four data scientists from Google participated. It\u2019s been a great\u00a0 resource for me, providing mentorship from someone who knows the interview process and the\u00a0 steps needed to succeed after graduation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On top of that, BU regularly hosts math and stats talks featuring professors from top schools like\u00a0 Harvard, MIT, and UCLA. These talks expose you to new research and give you a chance to\u00a0 expand your network within academia. Plus, BU offers plenty of opportunities to attend career\u00a0 fairs, where you can connect with top companies from Boston and across the country, increasing\u00a0 your chances of landing a job after you graduate.”\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Could you share a strategy or a technique you implemented that helps you achieve an\u00a0 efficient work life balance during graduate school?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“I won\u2019t lie\u2014grad school for me mostly means spending hours on the fourth floor of the Center\u00a0 for Data Science and Computing. Between attending class, homework, networking, and job\u00a0 hunting, there\u2019s little downtime. I chose an accelerated one-year track for the MSSP program, so\u00a0 things are probably a little more intense for me than for some of my peers who opted for the\u00a0 year-and-a-half route. But no matter the track, we\u2019re all incredibly busy. Entering a STEM grad\u00a0 program with the expectation that it\u2019s going to be a challenge is key, as most of your time will be\u00a0 spent focusing on your academic and professional growth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, I\u2019ve learned that to avoid burnout, it\u2019s essential to take care of yourself. For me, that\u00a0 means two things: getting enough sleep every night and making time to exercise at least 3-4\u00a0 times a week. Dedicating just a few extra hours each day to rest and physical activity has made a\u00a0 significant difference, helping me stay focused and energized when it\u2019s time to dive into my\u00a0 work. Those small adjustments have allowed me to be more productive and stay sharp\u00a0 throughout this fast-paced program.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Did you have a mentor, professor, or a peer who significantly impacted your success?\u00a0 How did their guidance shape your path?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“I didn\u2019t fully appreciate the value of having a mentor during my undergraduate years. Most of\u00a0 my success came from an intrinsic motivation to make myself proud and to excel academically.\u00a0 Now that my focus has shifted from just academics to building a career, I find myself looking to\u00a0 individuals with much more life experience, and that\u2019s where MSSP really stands out, as I\u00a0 mentioned before. My academic drive has definitely carried over from my previous school, but\u00a0 now I feel guided as I step into this first truly unknown phase of my life. Having mentors to lean\u00a0 on makes a huge difference, helping me navigate this new territory with more confidence.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Looking back on your journey so far, what do you consider your biggest accomplishment\u00a0 in this program?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“I think it\u2019s pretty exciting that I\u2019m only a month and a half into this program and have already\u00a0 made enough of an impact to be asked to do an interview about my experience. I feel honored to\u00a0 represent MSSP and to share what I see as the strengths of this program. “<\/span><\/p>\n

What advice would you give to someone considering a Master\u2019s in Statistical Practice?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

“I believe MSSP is an excellent program for anyone driven to learn how to make informed\u00a0 decisions with data, improve their communication skills, and enter the workforce after\u00a0 graduation. However, one thing I must emphasize is that graduate degrees are designed for those\u00a0 who are eager to learn, curious, and willing to go above and beyond the coursework to fully\u00a0 understand the concepts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

MSSP is what you make of it. It\u2019s essential not only to focus on your coursework but also to invest in your personal\u00a0 growth. This program offers a year\u2019s worth of personal development, encouraging you to\u00a0 stumble, explore new areas, and even fail. In this program, your setbacks become stepping stones\u00a0 to a successful and fulfilling career.”<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/h5>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Do\u011fa Sevgi<\/b><\/p>\n

Marketing & Communication Assistant, GRS<\/p>\n

Bachelor of Science, Psychology<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Annika Balk, from New York, United States \u00a0is expected to complete her master\u2019s in Statistical Practice in May 2025. We […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23720,"featured_media":82474,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[548,195,376,545],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82473"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23720"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82473"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82480,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82473\/revisions\/82480"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82474"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cas\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}