Student Success the Focus of ESU Student’s PASSHE Internship

East Stroudsburg University and Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) have partnered to provide a valuable internship experience aimed at shaping the success of future Warriors at the university.

Alyssa Foster, a junior computer science major from Brodheadsville, Pa., has joined PASSHE’s advanced data analytics team as an intern for the fall 2025 semester. In her role, Foster has been tasked with digging into the data behind ESU’s first-generation student population with the goal of using the findings to influence policy and programmatic decisions at the university.

“Since there isn’t a pre-established pipeline directly into the work we do in higher education, I see this opportunity as building a pipeline to our profession that gets students interested in what we do, gets them into our profession, and then allows them to establish a career,” said Natalie Cartwright, director and chief data officer of PASSHE’s Office of Advanced Data Analytics.

Working under Cartwright and her team, Foster is combing through years of aggregated data on first-generation students – including their backgrounds, experiences at ESU, outcomes after graduation, and more – in search of patterns and trends that can be molded into future outcomes.

Using data to fulfill an important goal at her university is an aspect of data analytics that first drew Foster to the field, she said.

“It’s been a very cool experience realizing that I made a good decision going into the career I’m interested in, and it’s been so much fun discovering how interesting the work is and passionate in it I am,” Foster said.

Foster learned of the PASSHE internship thanks to another data-centered role she holds within ESU’s College of Business Management. In that job, Foster analyzes data from the university website’s Admissions chatbot – a feature that allows users to ask admissions questions that can be answered quickly online.

While in that role, Foster was approached by Sylvester Williams, dean of the College of Business Management, about the opportunity at PASSHE. Williams encouraged Foster to apply, she said.

“He said I’d be a perfect fit for it,” she said.

Now, those internships are having a positive impact on not only her future, but also her present.

“Since I’m using programs in my internships that we use in class, I’m not only taking classes that help me succeed in my internships, but what I’m doing in my internships is helping me in my classes,” she said.

Foster’s enthusiasm for analyzing data was apparent from day one of the internship, Cartwright said.

“She is super excited about the topic and the data analytics side of taking a data set and transforming it into something meaningful,” Cartwright said. “We’re looking forward to the project advancing because I think what she’s going to accomplish will be outstanding.”

Cartwright noted that Foster, and other students with data analytics careers in mind, are entering the field at an ideal time.

“It’s growing, it’s in demand, and there really isn’t a profession where the data analytics skillset isn’t being used,” Cartwright said.

East Stroudsburg University currently offers a minor in business analytics through the College of Business Management, which provides a joint certification with Statistical Analysis System (SAS) upon completion. It is the only program in Pennsylvania to offer the joint certification and minor.

A minor in hospitality data analytics is also available. Upon completion, students will gain proficiency in essential software tools widely used in the industry, including Excel, Python, and Tableau. In this program, students will have the opportunity to attain the Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA), a globally recognized certification program specifically designed for professionals and students in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Learn more about ESU’s computer science major.

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