Sadeen Alsabbagh’24Sadeen Alsabbagh’24 knew she wanted to make the most of the summer before her senior year. She found what she was looking for in the Information Systems team at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital: a supportive mentor, building hands-on skills, and a chance to put her in-the-classroom training to work.

A double major in computer science and data science from Jordan, Sadeen found opportunities in her internship to put her skills into practice. Her internship mentor assigned her a project that was new to the organization and a big responsibility. This project advanced St. Jude’s mission by improving the patient experience with chemotherapy administration, and was achieved through optimizing software tools and employing data mining models, skills that Sadeen had first acquired in her coursework at Beloit. Sadeen was tasked with using system event log data and interviewing technicians, pharmacists, and medical providers to understand where slow-downs were happening, if there were specific bottlenecks, and where the process could be improved. This “process mining” project used analytical visual tools – along with creative problem-solving – to improve work flows in the hospital. “Improving this problem improves things for both the patient and the hospital,” said Sadeen.

Sadeen Alsabbagh’24 with the other summer interns at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital.

Sadeen’s experiences working on campus in the Advancement Office and Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning helped her secure the internship and thrive once she was there. “As I encounter a greater variety of datasets, my understanding of how these things operate continues to expand on a larger scale,” said Sadeen, referring to her data-intensive projects in both offices. “I enjoyed working in IRAP, because it wasn’t just a job. My mentor was invested in my learning.”

Sadeen Alsabbagh’24 in the Institutional Research, Assessment, and Planning Office.

Sadeen also appreciates the advantages that come with studying technical subjects at Beloit College. “Beloit excels in integrating humanities into the field of data science, offering a wide array of options for students. Their approach not only fosters proficiency but also encourages thoughtful analysis. While data provides the numbers, Beloit ensures that students also acquire the skills to effectively communicate their findings to those who may not have the same level of data expertise.”

Since her freshman year, Sadeen has taken advantage of resources offered on campus, including Career Works sessions on preparing a resume and preparing for interviews. These experiences gave her the confidence to secure this internship on her own, searching for an opportunity that was just the right fit. By the end of the spring semester, Sadeen had been offered two attractive internships, and returned to her mentors in IRAP and Career Works for advice about choosing the right job for the summer.

Sadeen’s advice to other students is to seek the right mentorship on campus, and to ask questions. “Ask. That is something I learned here. Just ask. It’s never a bad thing to ask questions.”