A Message of Support to Our Community in Response to Recent Event

A Message of Support to Our Community in Response to Recent Event

Posted by Vivian Zhang

Updated: Jun 5, 2020

article-heroimage-messageofsupport-010180-Z6kNcA1COn behalf of our organization, we would like to express our profound sorrow regarding the brutal killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis along with other recent instances of police brutality including the deaths of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. We are deeply saddened by the violence and looting that has emerged from some of the many peaceful protests in response to these horrific acts.

As a culturally diverse community of learners, the NYC Data Science Academy condemns the exhibited inhumane treatment by those individual officers, and we will not stand for the unequal treatment of African Americans or other people of color in our company, our community, or our country. We have always promoted inclusion in our organization, and we will continue to do so as we strongly believe that everyone should have an equal opportunity to learn and find success regardless of the color of their
skin, their gender, or their sexual orientation.

The safety and well-being of our students and faculty is, and has always been, our primary concern, and we hope that you all stay safe and healthy as you continue with the remaining scheduled learning activities. We recognize the substantial impact that these events have had on the mental health and welfare of people everywhere, but particularly for people of color, and we realize that these events have caused additional stress and distress during a time that is already difficult for many of us to continue with our scheduled lives. We have compiled some available community services to assist with emotional support during difficult times. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it should give you a place to start if you feel a need for additional support. Furthermore, please refer to page 29 in our school catalog for our policies regarding pausing your coursework if you believe you are unable to continue with your studies at this time.

These are frightening and uncertain times, and we must do our best to push forward to create a world that actively rebukes racism and establishes an atmosphere of equality and inclusion. As an academic organization, the NYC Data Science Academy is committed to this message, and we encourage our community to safely perpetuate this sentiment. Know that we value each and every one of you, and we are here to continue to support you in achieving your learning goals.

 

Sincerely,

Vivian Zhang

School Director

Vivian Zhang

Vivian is the CTO and School Director of NYC Data Science Academy and CTO of SupStat. With her extensive experience working in the data science field, she developed expertise in multiple programming languages, including R, Python, Hadoop, and Spark. In August 2016, Forbes ranked her amongst one of the nine women leading the pack in data analytics. In 2013, she created the NYC Open Data Meetup group, which stands as one of the largest data science communities offering meetups, conferences, and a weekly newsletter. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys meeting people and sharing her motivational stories with our students and other professionals

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