As Jones alumnus Andy Niser ‘21 continues his senior year at Vanderbilt, he returned to Computer Science Classes to speak with students about career opportunities and the practical applications of their studies.
Niser launched his own consulting practice at the intersection of his passion for soccer and data analysis.
“I run my own consulting practice called Data Core Strategy,” Niser said. “I primarily work with teams in a pro league called the USL (United Soccer League), which is just below the MLS (Major League Soccer).”
During his talk, Niser discussed how the programming concepts students learn in classes such as Computer Science Principles and Data Structures can be applied in the workforce.
“I work with CRM platforms like Salesforce, which is essentially a customer relationship management system,” said Niser. “For example, if you’re a sales rep and you’re calling your season ticket holders, you have all their information stored, with attributes tied to each individual. The programming concepts students are learning—like working with variables—are directly applicable to this kind of work.”
Beyond analytics, Niser also supports sports teams in business strategy, data science infrastructure, and player valuation.
“On the sporting side, I work with coaches and sporting directors to analyze and quantify player values—essentially determining how much a player is worth,” said Niser.
Reflecting on his journey, Niser shared his motivation for returning to Jones, emphasizing persistence and positioning oneself for success in any industry is possible no matter the challenges.
“Part of the reason I came back today is to share my story and show that there are so many opportunities out there,” said Niser. “People told me I could never be a general manager or work in sports analytics, but it’s definitely possible. If you put yourself in the right places and let your work speak for itself, you can make things happen.”
Additionally, he expressed gratitude for his computer science education at Jones, noting how it provided a foundation for his career—even though he isn’t a software engineer.
“I take a lot of pride in coming from Chicago Public Schools and Jones, and I know how valuable a computer science education is,” said Niser. “Even though I’m not working as a software engineer, the skills I learned here have been incredibly useful.”
Addressing current students, Niser encouraged them to explore their strengths and passions in high school, as this can help shape their future career paths.
“When you’re 16, 17, or 18, you don’t always know what you want to do,” Niser said. “What helped me was figuring out what I was good at and what I enjoyed, and then focusing on that in the long run. High school is a great time to start figuring that out.”
Niser also emphasized the importance of networking and personal branding, sharing how platforms like LinkedIn helped him secure opportunities.
“I started building my LinkedIn profile in high school, which was incredibly helpful,” said Niser. “Now, I have over 2,200 followers, and that’s opened up so many work opportunities, school connections, and recruiting chances. It’s important to network and connect with people who share your interests.”
Throughout his speech, Niser highlighted a central theme: the world is digitalizing and computer science knowledge is valuable across industries, not just in software engineering.
“Computer science opens up a lot of doors,” said Niser. “It’s not just about coding or software engineering—many of the concepts students are learning now are directly applicable to different career paths, including my own.”
