DataCamp-Ishango.ai Scholarship Recipient- Mansour Gueye

Please share a bit about yourself and your background.

My name is Mansour Gueye. I am from Diourbel, Senegal, and my academic journey initially focused on physics and chemistry. However, my interest in computer science was sparked through interactions with friends and online resources like Mathieu Nebra’s PDFs and platforms such as SoloLearn, where I learned HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Expanding my knowledge through MOOCs on platforms like edX and Coursera, I explored languages like Python and SQL alongside my ongoing physics studies.

What did you study, and how did you first become interested in data science?

Specialising in electronics, systems, and telecommunications, I underwent intensive training in data development at Sonatel Academy. This led to an internship as a data scientist at Sonatel Senegal, providing me with valuable hands-on experience in the professional landscape. Subsequently, I joined Atos Academy to deepen my expertise as a data engineer, immersing myself in technologies like Spark, Scala, and Kafka.

I have a passion for data and its potential applications across various fields, such as health and natural language processing (NLP). I firmly believe in the importance of thorough exploratory data analysis and understanding data intricately before applying models or generating reports for business intelligence. This approach proves crucial in real-world scenarios, whether it’s detecting fraud or addressing local language challenges through NLP.

 What has been your experience with the DataCamp-Ishango.ai scholarship, and any successes outside the scholarship so far?

The scholarship I received has been invaluable in developing my skills in data science. Through it, I have completed courses covering various aspects such as machine learning, data analysis, and engineering using Python, as well as data analysis with Power BI. Engaging in numerous concrete projects, including some innovative ones, enabled me to earn the Data Analyst certification with DataCamp, all without any financial burden. 

Moreover, inspired by the knowledge gained, my friends and I founded a startup aimed at addressing a pressing medical issue: automating medical records. We integrated AI to streamline patient record summaries and identify critical issues within the healthcare sector. My goal is to apply the skills acquired through this scholarship to a meaningful cause, contributing to solving significant problems that impact our daily lives.