Fascinated By Data | Graduate Spotlight

Eric Broestl of Full-time Data Analytics Cohort 4 wore many hats during his time in the music industry, the last hat being a studio integrator, wiring soundboards for studio-installs nationally. When the industry began to shut down in 2020 due to the pandemic, Eric began looking at the data behind the growing spread of COVID-19 and was fascinated by the processes to get the information into an understandable and interactive format. As Eric researched more, he discovered Nashville Software School’s (NSS) Data Analytics program. “I kinda jumped in head-first and have loved it ever since,” he shares in his podcast.

My passion for finding novel solutions to complex technical and business issues naturally led me to the world of Analytics.

What was the topic of your capstone and how did you choose it?

“My capstone is called Property Value and Travel Patterns: Analyzing New York City Public Data. I hoped to find insight into travel patterns and if they are tied to wealth. Using the public data that NYC publishes seemed like a good stepping stone for a proof of concept exploring this idea. While property value is not a one-to-one match indicator of wealth in a given vicinity, it was an extremely useful exercise in joining datasets with disparate geospatial standards, and several interesting correlations were discovered along the way. I look forward to continuing work on this project in the coming months by joining more metrics into my findings.”

What advice would you give to current or incoming NSS Data students?

“Trust the process. Try to not let frustration distract you from the end goal. Breakthroughs in understanding can happen at any moment, and your instructors will help you find those moments.”

What was your favorite part of your NSS experience?

“The social nature of the program. It is extremely helpful to be able to have lighthearted banter, while climbing up the learning curve on these technologies.”