Growing up in Grand Lake, Louisiana, a small town nestled just south of Lake Charles, Katherine Deshotel always knew she wanted more.
After graduating high school in 2015, she set her sights on the 51Ƶ at Lafayette.
During her time on campus, Deshotel thrived, earning both a bachelor’s degree in business management and an MBA.
But after stepping into the professional world, she realized that her ambitions were pulling her in a new direction.
“I started working at a local call center last year after getting my MBA, and I was doing surface level data analytic work for them, but I knew I didn’t want to stay there forever” says Deshotel. “So I applied for a bunch of jobs, and I was getting told I don’t have the experience or the coding knowledge needed.”
Driven to break into the field of data analytics, Deshotel returned to UL Lafayette — this time in the online M.S. in Informatics program. The flexibility of the online format allowed her to balance her new career with her studies.
This decision would prove to be the key to unlocking her potential, launching her into a successful career in financial analytics, where she now supports major casino operations with her expertise.
A Familiar Path Forward
When it came time to choose a path for further education, Deshotel’s decision was led by a sense of familiarity.
Returning to UL Lafayette for an M.S. in Informatics was a natural choice.
“I did look at other options, but UL Lafayette felt like home,” she says. “And I knew that I would be able to get through it, because this would be my third time with the University.”
Although it was her third degree with the University, this time she was balancing her studies with the demands of a full-time job.
“It was challenging because this time school wasn’t my sole focus,” she says. “I was learning a brand-new job at the same time that I was working through the program, so I had to find a balance.”
And that’s exactly what she found with her online studies.
“The program gave me the flexibility to be able to work on the coursework at my own pace, whenever I wanted to,” says Deshotel. “Everything was on my terms, besides the due date.”
Mastering Data Analytics
Deshotel’s journey through the online M.S. in Informatics program was demanding but rewarding.
One of the standout features of the program was the network she built with her peers.
“Through group projects, I was able to build relationships with the other classmates,” she says. “Which is helpful because you go to the next class and you have another group project, so you get to work with the same people in your program.”
The program’s capstone project was another highlight for Deshotel, allowing her to bring together everything she had learned from both the program and her work.
“We were pretty much given free rein to choose what project we wanted to work on and display our skills that we learned during the process,” she recalls. “So I was able to use things I’d learned in my job, plus things that I’d learned during the program.”
This hands-on experience, combined with the immediate applicability of the coursework to her role as a regional financial analyst for Penn Entertainment, proved to be invaluable.
“I learned a lot about the technical hardware information,” she recalls. “I support 14 casinos with their financial data, and the technology aspect of the program helped to understand our data warehouses in my current job and how that flows.”
Earning her M.S. in Informatics in May 2024, Deshotel’s connection to the University remains strong.
“UL Lafayette feels like a home to me and during my time, both in undergrad and grad school, it was just great to be a part of the University. I’m proud to be a Ragin’ Cajun.”
With three degrees and a seasoned perspective, Deshotel emphasizes the value of staying focused and leaning on the community around you.
“Stay organized and reach out to classmates and professors. Use the resources available to you, people are here to help you. They want to see you succeed.”
Ready to advance your career in data analytics? Learn more about UL Lafayette's online M.S. in Informatics program.
