Stephanie Gonzalez

Motivation to pursue a graduate degree

For as long as I can remember, I knew I wanted to pursue advanced education. I have always been incredibly interested in learning as much as I possibly can, and found FSU to be the perfect environment for me to pursue an interdisciplinary path in both information science and multiple areas of psychology. Ultimately, as a lifetime FL resident and FSU master's alum, I couldn't imagine pursuing my post-master's anywhere else.

Importance and/or impact of research and work

Throughout both my master's and specialist programs at FSU's iSchool, I have focused on developing a deeper understanding of database management and complex data analysis. My ability to specialize in these areas has allowed me to develop the necessary foundational skills to contribute to, and often manage, multiple large-scale systems projects at The Walt Disney Company. Beyond this, I am incredibly interested in human-computer interaction. Specifically, I enjoy translating advanced technical concepts within application adoption into easily digestible walkthroughs. This work, while incredibly rewarding, is essential for inspiring confidence and facilitating an easy transition when adopting new systems and processes.

Career aspirations

I would love to continue growing as a professional within The Walt Disney Company and aspire to advance into a senior-level position where I can further contribute to research on AI-enabled efficiencies. Beyond this, I plan to return to FSU for further graduate studies to continue developing my skills in information technology and human performance technology.

Advice for anyone considering graduate school

My best piece of advice would be to believe that nothing is impossible - when there is a will, there is a way. As a psychology undergraduate with no formal research experience, securing admission into a graduate program seemed impossible. One of my professors at USF, Dr. Jay Michaels, encouraged me to look beyond my major into related fields and to apply with confidence, which turned out to be the perfect approach for securing admission to multiple graduate-level programs.

Accomplishments during graduate career

Without a doubt, I am most proud of my ability to maintain a 4.0 GPA throughout my college-level studies, including my most recent specialist program. While seemingly trivial, I often recall the immense pride and enthusiasm my dad would exhibit while boasting about my high grades. Though he passed shortly after I turned ten, I still hold these memories close to my heart and often return to them to inspire me to continue pursuing perfect grades. Aside from this, I am incredibly proud of my recent promotion from an associate analyst to an analyst-level role at work, an accomplishment I couldn't imagine attaining without completing my graduate programs at FSU.