Alanna Correa (MS Information Systems, ’28) Balances Data Mining and Motherhood

Alanna Correa wasn’t looking to go back to school, exactly. The seasoned marketing data analyst had just volunteered for a new role as director of marketing effectiveness at L’Oréal and needed to broaden her tech skills, but didn’t think she was ready for a full-fledged degree program.  

Fortunately, she stumbled upon the Zicklin School’s Advanced Certificate in Data Analytics, which had just launched. “I saw it as a great way to get my feet wet—to see if I could work and study at the same time,” she says.  

So she enrolled in the certificate program. Then she found out she was pregnant.  

Alanna Correa (MS, ’28) and baby Lorenzo

Fast forward 14 months or so and Alanna has now completed the advanced certificate and is enrolled in Zicklin’s Master of Science in Information Systems program. “This program is directly applicable to my job,” she says during a Zoom call, as baby Lorenzo coos at her feet. “I’m already seeing benefits—the two courses I’m taking now would have really helped when I started my new position last year.” 

Two courses is a heavy lift for a new mother, but Alanna is able to balance it all because she’s still on maternity leave from L’Oréal, which offers a generous six-month benefit. She’s chosen the data analytics track within her degree so she can apply two of the three courses she completed for the certificate. “I only need one more course to finish that track,” Alanna says. “That was a real incentive” to enroll in the master’s program.  

So far, her favorite course is the introductory Principles of Database Management, taught by Associate Professor Qiang Gao, PhD (Paul H. Chook Department of Information Systems and Statistics). 

Says Alanna: “I love it—I’ve never been so excited to see a course be so applicable toward the real world. It energized me to see that I’d made the right decision in enrolling in this degree program.” Even her husband, a professional cook, has overheard Dr. Gao’s lectures “and says he’s great.” 

Why Zicklin? “I studied at Queens College as an undergraduate, so I’m a huge advocate of the CUNY system,” Alanna replies. “I started my career alongside Ivy League graduates and we’re all in the same place, earning the same salaries. Whether I was working in media, entertainment, or now CPG [consumer packaged goods], I never felt I couldn’t compete with graduates from Ivy League or other private colleges.” She also makes use of L’ Oréal’s generous tuition reimbursement benefit: “My biggest priority is to graduate debt free.”

What’s next for Alanna? “I really enjoy putting together dashboards for L’ Oréal’s various marketing teams,” she offers. “I’d like to create a products suite as a one-stop shop for data insights and maybe take on more of a leadership role. And who knows? Maybe advocate for a promotion once I finish my degree.”

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