Manuela Jimenez, a first-year master’s student in Science and Statistics at Florida State University, is on a clear path toward a career in applied statistics — with a special passion for the sports industry. As a Graduate Assistant in Teaching, she’s finishing her first year in the program this semester.

Originally from Bogotá, Colombia, Manuela earned her B.S. in Mathematics from Chowan University in 2024, after two years on a tennis scholarship at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Reflecting on her time at Chowan, she shared: “I loved the tranquility and the possibility of focusing on my studies. I like the small classes and the idea that you get to actually talk to your professors. There is a strong sense of community.”

An accomplished student and athlete, Manuela served as President of the International Club, Captain of the Tennis Team, and was a speaker at the Senior Banquet. She’s also a puzzle enthusiast, enjoying logic challenges like Sudoku.

This academic year, Manuela was selected for the prestigious Sloan Sports Analytics Conference Mentorship Program, organized by MIT’s Sloan School of Management. At the Boston conference, she participated in workshops, networked with professionals, and began a six-month mentorship with an industry expert — an experience she describes as invaluable for her professional development.

Manuela credits her success to the mentorship she received from Chowan faculty. “I have so much to thank her for. She is very encouraging. I don’t think I can ever repay her for all that she does for the international students,” she said of Dr. Jill Awuni.

Looking ahead, Manuela is eager to teach beginning statistics next fall and aspires to be “a professor who is well loved” during her graduate school journey. Her long-term goal is to gain professional experience in the United States before returning to Colombia, where she hopes to apply her skills in sports analytics, whether on the business side or in player performance analysis.