Mary St Jean
Now an experienced statistical programmer and data analyst, my professional journey from makeup artist to data professional exemplifies resilience and determination.
Hailing from Nashua, New Hampshire, I am inclined to research and innovation; I am also an active community member, real estate investor, and single mom of two.
Early Life & Parenting
Born and raised in Rhode Island, I have always had a passion for learning, a trait I imbue in my children.
I have two children who consistently excel academically and place at the regional and national levels in academic competitions.
Balancing my role as a single mom and enabling my children to explore their potential speaks to my skills and passions.
Transition from Makeup Artist to the World of Data
Before my current role, I worked as a makeup artist, emphasizing confidence and personal expression in all clients. Trading makeup brushes for a MacBook Pro, I started a graduate program in data science at Harvard in 2019 with zero prior experience, driven by the purpose of creating a meaningful life for my children. I studied MIT OpenCourseWare to learn the math skills needed to succeed in my courses and pulled innumerable all-nighters to learn R, statistics, and Python at the level and pace required for the program. This fierce determination and passion led me to graduate from Harvard in 2022 with a number of academic accolades. I was hired at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) four months before graduation, illustrating my exceptional caliber of multi-tasking as any single mom does best.
Academic Pursuits and Accolades
To deepen my field of expertise, I was accepted to Dartmouth for Quantitative Biomedical Sciences with a concentration in Health Data Science. Pursuing a second Ivy League quantitative master’s degree, I enrolled full-time on campus while continuing to work at MGH—perhaps the only single mom and nontraditional student who’s even attempted to do so. While attending Dartmouth, I contributed to research in my professional work at MGH that was published in the article “Development of a Definition of Postacute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection” (Thaweethai et al., 2023) in the Journal of American Medicine for which I am named as a contributor. Additionally, during this time, both of my children were invited to participate in the national level science bee competition, robotics regional championships, and MIT science bowl invitational competition, skipped one and two grades in math, respectively, and made the honor roll every term. Despite being tempered by family commitments, I completed half of the program and continued my pursuit of continuous learning.
Research Career and Other Endeavors
My academic pursuit comes from my love for research and innovation. Initially considering pursuing a PhD, I started my role at MGH to gain research experience. I was accepted to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science at the University of New Hampshire, but she chose to prioritize my responsibilities as a single mom. My journey in academia, research, and cutting-edge applications of data science extends beyond the institutions to which I’ve had the honor of contributing as I explore interests in entrepreneurship, investing, and startup companies.
Real Estate Ventures
I found an additional application of my quantitative and data science skillset as a landlord and a real estate investor. I focus primarily on adding value to the community by restoring and repositioning historic property converted to multi-family residences. I manage a diverse team of tradespeople and general roles.
Community Involvement
With a strong belief in giving back to society, I have been active in community service. I volunteered regularly at the Nashua Soup Kitchen Shelter from 2017 to 2019 and also served as a Girl Scout troop leader from 2017 to 2018.
I aim to embrace interdisciplinary and innovative applications of data science for the betterment of society.
Portfolio: http://marystjean.com/
