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Meet your 24-25 Statistics Ambassadors!
The Department of Statistics at the University of Illinois is home to a group of exceptional student leaders known as the Illinois Statistics Ambassadors. These passionate and driven individuals are committed to fostering a welcoming and supportive environment for new and prospective students while showcasing the exciting opportunities within the field of statistics. In this blog post, we will introduce you to some of these outstanding ambassadors and learn about their experiences, passions, and valuable advice for freshmen.
Alyssa Anastasi
Class of 2025
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Minors: Public Health
Hello, my name is Alyssa and I am a senior in Computer Science + Statistics with a minor in Public Health. In my time at Illinois, I have found a passion for applying data analysis and machine learning within the fields of healthcare and biomedical sciences. On campus, I am involved as a course assistant for STAT 107. Outside of academics, I love roller blading, scrapbooking, and reading.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
It’s okay to not be 100% decided on what you want to do. Take any classes, join any RSO, and take any opportunities on topics that interest you even a little bit, and you could discover that you love it, and meet some amazing people. There is so much to do here, and it’s so important to take advantage of everything Illinois has to offer in your first year!
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Ashrith Anumala
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Hi! I’m Ashrith Anumala, a current junior majoring in statistics & computer science. On campus I’m involved with R&D for startups and strategy consulting. I enjoy listening to podcasts and running.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Something I think all freshmen should prioritize is getting involved. It's the best way to meet people that have similar interests as you and you end up becoming really good friends with a lot of people you meet this way. It's definitely the best resource Illinois has to offer!
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Logan Blancett
Class of 2025
Majors: Statistics
Minor: Computer Science
I am a senior this year majoring in Statistics while completing a Computer Science minor! I am expected to graduate in 2025 and most likely pursue a master's degree. Some of my favorite hobbies include collecting and playing retro video games and following baseball. This year I am involved with the Sports Analytics Society, Statistics Club, and I am currently an RA in FAR!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
One huge piece of advice that I wish I could've told myself freshman year is to not expect to have all the answers! I came into freshman year believing that I had my whole 4 years here planned out already, only for all of my plans to change very quickly. It's okay to wait and see what you enjoy!
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Victoria Dilday
Class of 2025
Major: Statistics
Minor: Atmospheric Sciences
My name is Victoria and I'm a senior majoring in Statistics with a minor in Atmospheric Sciences. In my free time, I like to read and be outside, and I've recently taken up photography and sewing!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Some advice I would give to my freshman self is show up! There are so many great opportunities on campus to get involved, meet people, and broaden your horizons, but it can be intimidating. It's easy to shrug off those opportunities and forget them. The only way to understand and narrow down what you really want to do is to show up to first meetings and don't be afraid to ask questions if you have them!
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Rohan Gavankar
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Hi! My name is Rohan Gavankar and I am a Junior studying Statistics and Computer Science with my Data Science certificate. On campus, I am a Project Manager for Illinois Business Consulting and I work at Research Park as a Data Science Intern. I really enjoy traveling, and I am going abroad next semester to England. I also love playing and watching any sports.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
My advice to my freshman self would be that it is completely okay to change paths. Whether this pertains to clubs or classes or majors you are young and have so manny years ahead of you, so this is the perfect time to figure out what you truly love and want to do. It is not worth sticking it out for something you aren’t passionate about, so take your time freshman year to explore activities, classes, and other things that you truly love.
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Ananth Hariharan
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Hi! My name is Ananth Hariharan, and I’m a junior majoring in Statistics & Computer Science planning on graduating in the spring of 2026. I’m passionate about research and enjoy using both statistics and computer science for problem solving, especially using machine learning. Beyond academics, I enjoy reading, clay shooting, and playing tennis. I also teach Sanskrit as part of an RSO on campus and love getting to explore new things!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Two main pointers: don’t rush through courses and get involved in research soon. Required courses in college aren’t like high school – they really do teach you things that matter in the future by helping you build understanding. It’s always in your best interest to spend time thoroughly learning and mastering the material; otherwise, you’ll spend a whole lot of time in later courses playing catch up and getting stressed out. It also helps to get a feel for what you’re passionate about and participate in research to start applying your skills and get guidance from our world-leading faculty. You learn so much more by working with people, and regardless of your future goals, research can help you get started and feel more comfortable with whatever you’re passionate about.
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Seo Yeon (Kate) Jung
Class of 2025
Majors: Statistics
Minor: Media Studies
I am an upcoming senior in Statistics (Class of 2025) with a minor in Media. I enjoy binge-watching dramas and painting with acrylics in my free time. Feel free to reach out to me on any topic related to statistics or whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie or not.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
There are a few things I wish I had known as a freshman. I was too shy and lacked confidence because I had no proficient knowledge of statistics. I was afraid to join any RSO related to statistics or take a coding related class. However, I now know that everyone else in that grade has roughly the same information, and joining RSO does not require any expertise. This is the same for the beginner coding class. My point is to just try. I want to underline the importance of not being afraid to fail. If you don't attempt, you'll never learn from your mistakes.
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Ricky Lin
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Hello! I’m a sophomore in Statistics & Computer Science and plan on graduating in May of 2026. I’m from the Bay Area and have learned tons from coming to UIUC. On campus, I’m part of the Disruption Lab and a course assistant for CS 128. In my free time, I definitely enjoy cooking, exercising, watching sports, and hanging out with friends. Statistics has always been interesting to me, and I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with everyone!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I would say definitely find a study spot that suits you and set designated periods of time in your week to get classwork done ahead of time. This will set you up for success in the classroom and also allow you to have more time to do other things like hang out with friends. For me, I would grab a drink and just head off to a large space like CIF or Siebel to lock in. Also definitely don’t be scared to go to office hours and get help or clarification. The course assistants are usually students as well and are friendly people who want to help you out. I personally learned lots from the course assistants and have found that being able to converse and discuss the content rather than watch a lecture or read off slides is a very different type of comprehension. Lastly, college is short, so make it memorable. Don’t be afraid to get out there and meet new people!
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Mia Paelmo
Class of 2025
Major: Statistics
Minor: Public Health
Hello! My name is Mia Paelmo and I’m a senior majoring in Statistics with a Public Health minor! In addition to being a statistics ambassador, I stay involved in the Statistics Department as a course assistant for the introductory data science course known as DISCOVERY (STAT 107), and I participate in the Mindfulness Movement dance RSO. Outside of school and studying, I’m a big foodie (I love to try new restaurants and foods), I like to travel, and I enjoy spending time with my friends. I’m so excited to be an ambassador this semester and I look forward to working with all prospective and new Stat majors!!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I think the best advice I would give my past self would be to just get involved as much as you can! College is all about trying new things and finding your passions, and there are hundreds of RSOs and other orgs on campus that will expose you to so many interests! I would tell my freshman self to not be so self-conscious about what RSOs to join, if there’s something that interests you, then join the club! You can always leave if you don’t end up liking it, but don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!!
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Ayana Patidar
Class of 2026
Majors: Statistics & Computer Science
Minor: Mathematics
I’m a Statistics and CS major, planning on minoring in Math! I plan to graduate in Spring 2026, and spend most of my free time playing guitar, watching films, and tinkering with silly programming projects. I also have very strong opinions about (real) football (soccer).
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I think what I’d want to tell myself is to not be afraid to go for new things and explore everything that you want to. It’s easier to say than do, but once you realize that you’re in charge of the decisions that you make and the life you build, things start to feel a lot more intentional and satisfying. It can be as simple as joining the RSO you’re nervous about, or committing to a class that you really want to pursue but feel apprehensive about for whatever reason.
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Charlotte Sampson
Class of 2026
Majors: Statistics
Minor: Computer Science
I'm Charlotte and I am currently a junior planning to graduate in May of 2026. I am majoring in Statistics with a minor in Computer Science. I am very interested in psychology, and in my free time, I enjoy reading and working out. I also love spending time outdoors!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I would tell my freshman self to relax. When I was a freshman, I was always stressed about what I should be doing and what I am going to do in the future. You do not need to have everything figured out right away, there is time. I wish that I hadn't put so much pressure on myself in figuring out what I want and had instead taken my time exploring different things and appreciating where I was at. I would also tell myself that it is so important not to compare yourself to your peers. Everyone has different paths, and your journey is uniquely yours!
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Rishi Shah
Class of 2026
Majors: Statistics & Computer Science
Minor: Geography & Geographic Information Science
Hello! My name is Rishi Shah and I am a senior studying Statistics and Computer Science, with a minor in Geographic Information Science. On campus recently I joined an improv club, been going to the gym with friends, and using my degree in poker to figure out the best move. I'm passionate in exploring the intersection of machine learning, climate science, and software development.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I would say take your stat cores as soon as possible! After finishing the first three intro classes, the statistics electives really open up and give you a good background into skills used in industry. So try to take your core classes as soon as possible, because the elective courses are super interesting!
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Jiayi (Carrie) Song
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics
Minors: Informatics, Public Health
Hi! My name is Jiayi Song, I’m a rising junior and I’m planning to graduate in 2026. I’m majoring in Statistics with two minors in Informatics and Public Health. One of my favorite things to do is hanging out with my dog – we pretty much go everywhere together! Other than that, I love gaming and collecting CDs.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Go try out different classes from different departments or even different colleges! Find something that truly interests you instead of taking whatever your friends say is easy. Also there’s tons of opportunities around campus no matter if it’s an internship or a research lab, all you need to do is to find them and grab onto those, you don’t lose anything by trying anyways.
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Izaak Van Til
Class of 2025
Major: Statistics & Computer Science
Minor: East Asian Languages and Cultures
I am currently a senior with a May 2025 graduation date with a major in Stats and a minor in East Asian Languages and Culture. I love to play board games, watch sports, and read.
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
I wish I knew that I could take more classes that interested me when I was earlier on in my school time, I thought that I was going to be pressed to fit my credits in before graduation, but now I have a lot of time where I wished that I spread it out more while I was younger.
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Helen Wu
Class of 2026
Major: Statistics
Minors: Computer Science, Economics
Hi there! My name is Helen, and I’m a rising junior majoring in Statistics with minors in Computer Science and Economics. I’m planning to graduate in 2026 and pursue a master afterward, probably a degree in to Statistics or CS. On campus, I served as a Course Assistant for STAT107 during my sophomore year. Outside of campus, I enjoy playing badminton, hanging out with friends, and exploring nearby cities!
What advice would you give to your freshman self?
Embrace different possibilities! Don’t hesitate to explore your boundaries and step into the unknown. I know you sometimes feel scared, but it’s better to take action than to regret not making an attempt! Plus, most failure is a great learning opportunity. Also, attend Office Hours more! It's a great opportunity to meet other amazing students, form lasting friendships, and gain valuable insights from your professors beyond academics!