Dillon Sparks cannot recall a time when he didn’t have a mind for mathematics. “I’ve always loved math. My dad would give me math worksheets before school, and I would do them sitting in the cafeteria,” he said.

Today, Sparks has completed his undergraduate studies in mathematics at Georgetown University, and he looks forward to combining his passions for applied math and social justice in Columbia University’s M.S. in Data Science program. “I want to work on things that I can actually see the impact of in real time,” he said. “I like that I can take the field of data science, bend it to my own interests, and apply it to what I care about.”

Sparks, who is a recipient of the JPMorgan Columbia University Data Science Institute Master’s Diversity Fellowship, started investing his talents in social justice by working for Georgetown’s Center for Social Justice Research, Teaching and Service. He was a tutor and mentor to young people from Washington, D.C.’s underserved neighborhoods, including those who were formerly incarcerated or in the juvenile justice system.

“It’s really easy as a Georgetown student to get tucked away in your corner of D.C. I know many people that went four years without ever going to the northeast or southeast quadrants of the city,” he said. “I had so many real experiences in D.C. because I got to know these students and watched them grow up.”

When Sparks learned about structural barriers that impact his mentees such as the school-to-prison pipeline, he homed in on the concept of socio-emotional learning (SEL) as a core competency that may promote educational equity. “There is extensive quantitative and qualitative research supporting the idea that SEL skills will impact the kids beyond the hours they spend with us…It was the first time that numbers and data furthered my own understanding of my experiences.” 

After graduating from Georgetown, Sparks worked as a college support assistant at Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics in New York City to help create STEM pathways for underserved students.

Sparks chose to pursue his master’s degree in data science at Columbia based on the program’s ample opportunities for hands-on experience, including the JPMorgan fellowship, which provides tuition, fees, a stipend for living expenses, and an internship with the firm. “When I submitted my essay for the JPMorgan fellowship, I did not have to compromise any of myself. I don’t want to go somewhere I can’t be all of myself,” he said.

Sparks is already considering ways to put this opportunity to good use. “I feel like Columbia is a place that is going to set me up to make a difference,” he said. “And [the Data Science Institute] went above and beyond to let me know that I’m welcome—your ideas and your perspective matters, we want you to contribute to this community.”

— Karina Alexanyan, Ph.D. and Shane Tan