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MAKING THE GRADE
Ben Gonzalez standing beside screens displaying business analytics
| photo by Catie Cleveland |

Career Express

One of the most desirable degrees in hand, data science graduate Ben Gonzalez ’24 pursues his dreams in the fintech market with AmEx.
Data science continues to be one of the fastest-growing industries in the country and one of the most sought-after degrees. The College recognized the need early on and established the first undergraduate data science program in the country in 2005. Today, students in the program are consistently graduating with full-time job offers from companies like American Express and Boeing.

One of those students is Ben Gonzalez ’24, who just completed his degree in data science with a concentration in business analytics.

“Companies thrive on innovation, and Ben Gonzalez, an inventive student leader, consistently inspires us with visionary ideas for the future of finance (fintech) in the era of AI,” says Lancie Affonso ’96 (M.S. ’08), instructor in the Department of Computer Science and the School of Business, Honors College Faculty Fellow and director of the Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community. “This is evident in the thesis for his yearlong interdisciplinary bachelor’s essay at the Honors College. I’m confident that Ben will continue to merge his technical expertise in machine learning and AI, his intrapreneurial mindset and his interdisciplinary liberal arts education to both disrupt and propel the growth of the fintech market.”

Gonzalez was offered a full-time position at American Express after working as a strategy and analytics intern on the company’s credit risk team last summer. He credits Affonso for giving him a push to join the School of Business Investment Program, the student-run asset portfolio where he met Andre Limon ’22, who works at American Express and who mentored him throughout the interview process. He also credits Jody Bell ’23 and Anthony Spinella ’23, former co-directors of the investment program, with helping him develop the leadership skills to become the managing director of the program.

“The people in the program changed the course of my college career,” says Gonzalez. “The interpersonal and technical skills I developed in the investment program helped me succeed in my internship at American Express. I am excited to enter the financial services industry and want to become a chartered financial analyst with the goal of being a leader in the financial services industry.”

Gonzalez’s dreams of being a leader in financial services can be traced back to his early years at the College when he enrolled in Data Science 101. Something just clicked.

“The thing I love about data science is that it doesn’t stand alone,” he says. “It’s solving problems using computer science, math and algorithmic thinking. I’ve had the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary data science skills as a student in the Honors College that include competing in the USC National Big Data Health Science Student Case Competition. Two other Honors students and I were able to compete against undergraduate and graduate students from across the country and were the only undergraduate team to place as finalists.”

Gonzalez wants to inspire students to follow a similar path and take advantage of the vast resources offered at the College to propel students into careers in financial services and fintech.

That’s money in the bank. – Amy Stockwell