Hastings College student Lucy Reid highlights the power of numbers in order to gain a deeper understanding during their summer internship at the Scott Data Center in Omaha, Nebraska.
“I’ve always been interested in understanding how people are attached to numbers. I want to be able to take and analyze data in a way that everyone can understand,” Reid said.
Reid, a junior mathematics major from Omaha, Nebraska, helps manage customer relations by organizing and using data. They work with an interface called Hubspot that helps track contact, company and service information. The goal is to collect data so they can send out audits and make sure people are billed correctly.
“We’re just trying to mitigate all the issues that come with talking to customers and how we can give them our information in a nice and cordial manner,” Reid said.
Reid found out about this internship through the Scott Scholars program at Hastings College. Director Dave Rippe helped Reid contact the Scott Data Center in order to set up a conversation about the internship.
“I met with management twice earlier this year. The second meeting is where they gave me the offer,” Reid said. “I wrote a letter saying I wanted the job and then received an email to apply for it and got it within the same day.”
Customer relations can be difficult to handle and Reid is learning how to navigate it. Not every customer will need the same thing and Reid has been tasked to differentiate the needs of different customers. In order to do this, Reid said asking questions is very important when navigating difficult situations.
“I’ve learned to not be afraid to ask questions and that it’s okay to be uncomfortable with not knowing everything because that’s how you gain clarification,” Reid said. “It’s okay to come across as naive or inexperienced because they are going to help you because you are helping them.”
Reid has enjoyed learning about different kinds of people, collecting information and sorting data in an organized way that will allow for easy use in the future.
“I always try to look for how we can solve issues along the road, not to create problems, but to create solutions before we have a problem,” Reid said.
This internship has been an opportunity for Reid to learn more about data science, a field they are passionate about. They hope to gain leadership skills from this experience and become more comfortable with creating opportunities for themself.
“Getting these internships has been amazing and has allowed me to become more comfortable with being creative in a way I haven’t seen before, which can test the boundaries of what a company can do,” Reid said.
Reid said Hastings College professors have influenced the skills that they have gained and have opened their eyes to various jobs that can utilize those skills. They’ve learned that this internship helps them understand things that people use everywhere, especially when it comes to businesses.
“I can put my goals and skills into anything I want to do. I don’t have to stay on one path. My professors helped train me to be applicable in many types of job fields,” Reid said.
Reid is taking an actuary exam this summer and plans on becoming an actuary after Hastings College, although a masters in mathematics is not out of the question.
“I’m very passionate about making it accessible and understandable for everyone. If I can take my knowledge and educate people around me, we can have conversations that can include everyone, not just those who are in the mathematics field,” Reid said.
