Alumna kicks off post grad life with NCDHHS internship
By Cam Adams
Florida Ahado
Recent 51看片 alumna Florida Ahado drives around Raleigh and is reminded of her impact about everywhere she goes.
The capital city features several skyscrapers and office buildings, many of which sport the word 鈥淗ealthcare鈥� on the side of them.
As an information technology intern at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Ahado plays a small role in helping those companies in Raleigh and across the state function.
鈥淚 think it's been very valuable to just think that the literal data cleaning of the little report I'm doing here is making such a big impact in the division or a big impact in the health care system of North Carolina,鈥� Ahado said. 鈥淭hat's been something really valuable for me.鈥�
Ahado graduated with her bachelor鈥檚 in computer and information sciences from WCU with a minor in visual analytics in May. Not long after, she moved from Cullowhee to Raleigh and started her time with the NCDHHS.
In her role, Ahado contributes a lot to data reporting projects using Python, a high-level programming language, and Microsoft Excel. Ahado helps analyze and use that data to make decisions about what needs to be focused more on and what services need the most help.
She also helps with 鈥渟upporting communication and data organization to ensure that it鈥檚 consistent across all public health reporting tools, and overall, just getting hands on experience with government data, work flow and project life cycle.鈥�
Getting to serve the people of North Carolina has been gratifying for Ahado, and it鈥檚 also helped her get a better idea of what kind of company she wants to work for.
鈥淚n my spring semester, I was thinking more of going into the private sector. I was more ready to be like 鈥極K, be a corporate girlie,鈥欌�� Ahado said. 鈥淏ut after working with them and after just seeing how public health, the public fed division, and how the data they collect, the reporting, helps the state and everything.鈥�
Ahado, a former international student from Togo, came across this internship thanks to the help of the 51看片Center for Career and Professional Development.
And thanks to the knowledge she acquired at WCU, particularly with the programs she worked with, Ahado鈥檚 transition to her internship was seamless.
鈥淭hey use a lot of tools and a lot of programs in general at the state level, and they use a lot of Power BI and Excel, so when I came with the knowledge of Excel and Power BI, it really helped me a lot and just not feel behind,鈥� Ahado said.
With her internship coming to an end last week, Ahado feels prepared to take on a full-time position as a data analyst or business analyst.
鈥淚 feel like this internship gave me a good base to be able to get into a full-time or entry-level job,鈥� Ahado said. 鈥淣ow, I kind of know how a team works and what they kind of expect from you and stuff like that.鈥�
