Chetan Desai
Degree: M.P.S., Data Science
Hometown: Karnataka, Kalaburagi, India
Plans: Entrepreneur in sports data science
“It wasn’t easy at first to be far from my home country and still have to do what’s to be done, from cooking and cleaning to making friends. But at UMBC I have always found the right opportunities from the right people.”
Chetan Desai, M.P.S. ’22, data science, came to UMBC from India in Spring 2021, overcoming the barriers of international travel during the pandemic, with a unique goal in mind. He wanted to combine his skills in data science with his passion for sport.
Desai made the most of his UMBC experience, working as a tennis instructor and serving as the secretary of the tennis club, a senator in the Graduate Student Association, and a data science teaching assistant. He also took on numerous roles off campus, volunteering for the State of Maryland COVID-19 vaccination site and the Citi Open Tennis Tournament.
Making the most of his own experience as an international student, he joined UMBC’s Global Ambassadors, where he invited other international students to be an active part of Retriever student life.
“I am so glad I was open to experiences and options as they were made available to me at UMBC,” says Desai. “I hope I have helped make other students’ journeys even smoother than my own.”
Tags: COEIT, DataScience, International Stories
