Sarah Temmam joined the ITC Data Science Fellows program with a first degree in mathematics and a second degree in engineering of the risk of insurance from Pantheon La Sorbonne. After working as an actuarial scientist for two and a half years, she made the move to Israel from a city call “Saint Maur de fosses”, close to Paris, France.
How did your interest for tech/coding/data science start? Were you always interested in this field? If not, why did you transition?
I am not someone who has been coding for a long time, but I wanted to make a transition into this coding world. The way I see it – with code we can do so many more things, we can apply in a wide variety of fields (such as science, marketing, insurance, etc.) and use code in many different ways. This is the side of code, and especially of data science that I enjoy working with.
Why did you decide to join this ITC program? What made you choose ITC over other training providers?
I chose to join ITC for a number of reasons. Firstly, I really wanted to come to Israel so I began looking for a program here. Secondly, I heard really great recommendations about ITC. A lot of friends completed the courses and told me that it is worth doing it. These reasons are why I am here now.
What’s one advice you would give aspiring women?
My advice to women is it to find something that you have a passion for. I would tell to all the women who are interested in code, data science and/or the tech world not to hesitate one second and make the leap of joining the program, because it is a really good one! P.S. this world of data is not just for men, but for them and all of us women too.
How can women get the most out of the ITC experience, and how can they best get ready for their next job during the training?
You will have to study, a lot! It is five intensive months of studying, projects, workshops and more! There are days that will not be easy, but you have to always remember what your goal is in the end and what you want to achieve.
No pain, No gain… This sentence is something I remind myself about and it works for all, and for women too 🙂
What has been your proudest achievement in this field so far? (A cool project you worked on, a topic you wanted to learn, a challenge you overcame)
Since I enrolled in the Data Science Fellows program, everyday I feel a bit smarter than the last day. I always remind myself that I am still one step ahead of yesterday.
Each day I learn a lot, in fact, not one day goes by that I don’t learn new things. For me it is important to not take anything for granted, and to outdo myself – which is what I am doing in ITC .
What do you think is the best part of being a woman in the tech industry?
I think it is a really good thing to be here to make this inequality gender less important and to have a role in the tech industry.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not coding?
When I am not coding, I love to travel and to visit interesting places in the world. I also love being active and playing some sports.
When we have time, a bunch of us from ITC go to run close to the beach of TLV. This is a really refreshing and beautiful break from the classroom.
What’s next for you? Where would you love to see yourself in a few years?
I would love to be in Israel, it is one of the reasons I first joined ITC. In this country the tech industry is developed and constantly innovating, which is a great opportunity and evolution to be a part of. I would like to find a position as a data scientist, ideally I would love to work on medical data, the science in this field is what interests me a lot.