Kavin Suresh
What’s your year, pronouns, major, and hometown?
He/him series. I'm from Pleasanton, California, so like 20 minutes away from Berkeley. I am a stats major. Did I miss anything? I'm a senior, so I'm going to graduate in May 2022.
What are your past and current committees?
In fall 2019, I was in Career Exploration. In spring 2020, I was in Data Consulting. In fall 2020, I was in Data Consulting again. In spring 2020, I was in IVP. Right now, I'm a Professional Development Advisor.
How and why did you choose your major?
I think a lot of people came to college being like “Oh, so you know data science is the new hot thing, you know?” I really want to get into that gravy train, but as I kind of went into it, I saw that a lot of it is very math heavy. A lot of it consists of staring at your computer screen all day. Props to people who can do it, like it's an amazing job if you can, but it’s for me, personally. I really have to get out there. I have to talk to people. I have to have a diverse set of experiences every day, so once I realized that, I was already kind of too deep into the stats major to change it, so I ended up keeping it. I do love stats, like probability. All that stuff is really fun, so that's why I got into it, but I definitely made a pivot, and I'm not using my degree too much right now.
Do you have any fun facts about yourself?
I have very very big feet for my size.
What are your hobbies and personal interests?
I'm really into cycling, basketball, cars, fashion, and anything in between.
Any books and TV shows and movies and music you're into right now?
I'm not a huge media guy, but I guess I'm really into old cartoons, like Regular Show, Adventure Time. It’s stuff I watched when I was a kid. I also like obscure soundcloud rappers. That's definitely my guilty pleasure.
You mentioned before that you're not using your stats major as much in your professional endeavors. What fields are you currently interested in, and what internship experience do you have, and how does stats play into that?
When I said I don't really use it, I was kind of half lying. I don't really use it fully. I'm not doing proofs and reading academic papers, but I definitely do use it on a day-to-day basis. I'm into product management, so a lot of that is very heavy data analysis, like you are looking at user data and all that stuff, and sometimes you're passing it on to actual data scientists to do that work. Sometimes, they don't have the bandwidth to do so, and you are doing that work, and that's when a stats major comes in very handy. I'd say my niche is machine learning product management, so I actually do have to use a lot of high level concepts, like I do need to know what a hyper parameter is and other things. In that sense, I do use my stats degree on a higher level to understand the product and help lead designers, engineers, executives, finance, and others on it. I would say that's the extent to which I use my degree. My first internship was doing data and business analysis at United Health. While people there were really great and I did find the domain really interesting, I think that's when I really discovered that data analysis and data science were not something I can do everyday. I really love the experience, so I can't complain. After that, I was like, “Oh shoot, what do I do?” Then, I kind of learned about product management, which is kind of like a good mix between my interests. You get to do data analysis, and you get to talk about business and engineering stuff, which is really a jack-of-all-trades type role. I did different things every day, which really, really fits my personality. So from there, I did a hard pivot, grinded really hard, and got my first internship at nCino, which is a fintech firm. I loved it, and I was there for seven to eight months. nCino was a loan analytics tool, so it's really cool. We got to launch to four banks, and it's really cool just seeing something that you work on for six to seven months on being used by four banks. It was one of my favorite experiences so far. After that, I went to Expedia, so I worked on their chatbot, so I used a lot of NLP and ML, which was really different. It was a lot more business focused, but it was really cool to see how different products or different companies approach PM and seeing how ML can be different in different products.
Have you taken any business classes at Cal, or where did you get all of the business knowledge to go into these experiences?
I haven't actually taken any business classes per se, but I'd say a lot of the soft skills I learned, like talking to people and going to business events, helped a lot.
Do you have any other campus involvements?
It’s really just my hobbies, but no other clubs.
How did you find out about SAAS, and why did you decide to join?
Funny story, so before I came to Cal, I was trying to figure out what club I wanted to join, so I was looking at people who were data scientists after graduating from Berkeley. I stalked through their profiles, and I did notice a trend, like quite a few of them were in SUSA, which I think is SAAS’s old name, so I kind of made a mental note, and I was like, “Alright, a few months from now, when at Cal, let's join this club.” And then a few months passed. I remember [I] saw the application on Facebook, applied, and here we are in SAAS. I think I mostly joined at first where I could get professional experiences, like CX and DC, which carried me through Data 100 and taught me everything I needed to know for my data analysis internship. It was literally amazing, but I definitely stayed for the social experiences. There are very few clubs in this area that are like SAAS. Join for the professional stuff, and stay for the social stuff.
What's your favorite SAAS committee you've been in and why?
I'd say my answer is CX because it was kind of magical in the sense that it really introduced me to data science as a whole. I remember taking a few stabs at it before, like going into Kaggle and trying to work on a project, but it just wasn't intuitive to me and it didn't make any sense. But, after going through that process and doing the final project and having it be a competition, like trying to win against everyone else, I literally spent my Friday nights working on it. I was really into it. You know, that magic? I'd say it definitely defined my first year at Cal. [So], it’s definitely CX. I think another factor is the instructors at the time, who were Ajay and Andrew. They were really into it, and you can hit them up anytime for a question, and they’d give you an in-depth answer. I remember messaging on Slack a bunch. I think that experience and the instructors being really into it really made that experience amazing.
What made you stay in the club over time?
It’s definitely the social experiences, like I think when I first came to Cal, I was like, “Oh, I need an internship. I need a job.” I was very career focused. But as time went on, and I achieved the things I came to college to do, I kind of loosened up, and I was like, “You know what, there's more to life than that.” This club is really social. There’s lots of great people and lots of social events and new people to meet. I definitely think that's what kept me around. It’s not necessarily professional stuff, which was great and really helped me, but it’s definitely the people.
What's your proudest accomplishment in SAAS thus far?
I think a really cool one is in Spring 2020. I was in DC, and our project was the Codi educational toy Think of an iPad without a screen. Kids could play music through it, like sing and dance. It was supposed to be a healthy alternative to digital media. We were working on a project and seeing what types of media kids liked, so the company could optimize and choose more media of that type to sell to kids, or the parents of the kids. Sidenote: kids user data is very messy. It's kind of weird looking through it. Kids would spam a button 100 times, and you'd be like, “Why did they do that?” That's just a little tangent. I think that was definitely my proudest moment because that was mid-COVID. So March 2020 hit and within the span of a week, our team was like eight people at first. Four people dropped and then of the remaining four, two of them were international from Singapore. So they flew back right away and then we'd have our meetings at some weird times. But I definitely think it's my proudest because even though it was a weird adjustment at first, we made it through. We created that final product just between the four of us. We managed to make it work with the time zones. I think communication with the company kind of came to a halt because they were stressed out because of COVID. They didn't really have time for kids at Berkeley doing their project, which is totally fair. But it definitely made our side of things a little harder, with all those factors and more, so the fact that we pulled it off, was definitely something I’m proud of.
How has SAAS helped you with your career and professional development, like deciding on a career path and learning new skills?
CX and DC were literally amazing, like CX carried me through Data 100. The stuff I learned made my internships, or my data analysis internship, way easier. I think those committees also gave me a lot to talk about during interviews, like stuff I really would not have gotten anywhere else. It definitely gave me a niche to talk about. I think I was really into it, so I hope that [was] conveyed to my interviewers.
What's your favorite SAAS memory over the last few years?
It all comes back to CX. Oh, I really enjoyed that final project. Like I said, I’d be sitting on my computer on a Friday night working on it and was really into it. Maybe I'm being a little nostalgic, but I think that was a very interesting time in my life. I think that was definitely my favorite.
How did you make friends with people within SAAS? And how did you meet most of them?
Honestly, for my first year, I was kind of antisocial. I'm not gonna lie. Like I said, I was kind of focusing on professional stuff. I knew people who’d be in my committees, maybe people outside like here and there, but I was definitely within my own bubble. But then with COVID, when everything switched online, I kind of made more of an effort because everything's online. I didn't have the same support [I] had before. So I did donutbots every week. I tried to go to virtual events. I was a house prefect. All that jazz, like a lot of effort, made a lot of new, or met a lot of new people. Sidenote: SAAS did an amazing job for an online club. I've definitely heard horror stories about other clubs that kind of shut down. So we're definitely lucky to be here in that sense. Afterwards, I just continued the trend with social events, volunteering for stuff that honestly I never would have done, like a year or two ago. It’s probably just social events, to answer succinctly.
Out of the three values of community, exploration, and mentorship, pick one and share what it means to you.
I'd say exploration. When I came into SAAS, I was a completely different person who had completely different wants and needs. And it wasn’t just professionally, like in terms of what I wanted from the club. So, I think exploration definitely defines it because I really explored into different things, like different types of internships, tried different hobbies, met new people, diversed my perspectives. Even within SAAS, like committee wise, I was kind of all over the place, like I was in CX, DC, IVP [Internal Affairs], and then now I'm an advisor. Two years ago, if you told me I would have done IVP, I would have been like, “Why, that doesn't help you professionally. It's a ‘waste of time.’” But once I did, I was like, “This is a great experience. You meet people, and you learn about your soft skills you really wouldn't have otherwise.” I tried new things that I never would have otherwise and definitely got a lot out of it.
How has SAAS changed during your time in the club?
I think the biggest changes I've noticed [are] the house system and the Big/Little system. I think that would have been really good for me [during] my first semester here because, like I said, I was antisocial. Unless someone was pushing me, I probably would have just stayed in my own bubble, hung out with the same few people, and left it at that. But I think if I had the Big/Little system or the house system at the time, I think I would have pushed a little out and gotten a little more comfortable with people and going to events. I think those two systems were the biggest change, and I really think it helped a lot because I see a lot more new people active than I ever did two years ago.
What advice would you give to the newer SAAS members, people who joined this semester, or even people that joined last semester remotely?
Don't be set on one thing. College is about exploration. Try out different things. Just don't be set and have tunnel vision. Try to experience life and all the different things within it. Whether in SAAS, like the different committees, or professionally, like different internships, or even personally, like different hobbies, meet new people you never would have talked otherwise. Explore and keep things diverse.
What's your favorite class?
I’d say Data 100 because it really got you the data science lifecycle. I don't wanna say it was really loose because it definitely wasn’t. It was a very well-structured class. Everyone was amazing, especially when we transition[ed] to COVID literally in the middle. But it was really cool. It was CX in class form and it was really cool, like doing real data science stuff that wasn't like a Kaggle competition for the first time. That was definitely my favorite class. It changed my perspective on a lot of things, and definitely made me a lot more confident doing data analysis on my own. 10/10, would take again.
Who's your favorite professor?
I'd say I have two. So for Math 54 and Stat 134, I took the adjuncts, so the teachers were Branden Saenz and Mike Leong. They were literally amazing. I don't think I would have gotten good grades in those classes without them because I would go to office hours all the time. I would ask them a question. They literally spent 30 minutes explaining it to me. They had these amazing worksheets that you could tell they put a lot of time into, tailoring it to that specific professor and that specific class. It’sjJust their overall passion and their willingness to help students not phoning it at all. You could tell they're doing the job because they loved it. That passion definitely conveyed to me and how hard I worked in the classes. So, it’s definitely them. It's something, in my personal opinion, harder to get from bigger classes with bigger professors, who are focused more on research than teaching. Those adjunct professors were literally amazing. To anyone reading this [who] is trying to take Math 54 or Stat 134, I highly recommend that you take the adjunct. It definitely changes your experience a lot.
What's your favorite Berkeley memory?
I think one of my favorite ones is my first semester. It was like 3 AM, and I told a few people that I've never rolled down 4.0 Hill. So, we went there. They were actually people there, which was kind of interesting. We rolled down the hill. It was really wet and muddy, but we did it anyway, and that's how I broke the tradition. There's lots of other random stuff that happened that night, but I'll leave it out.
What's your favorite spot on campus that more people should know about?
That's like a trick question because you can't let everyone know about those secret spots, but I think one that more people should take advantage of is the SLC [Student Learning Center]. So coincidentally, that's where a lot of like adjunct office hours are, but it's an amazing resource. It's a great place to study, first of all. This is like midterm season. There's always open seats. But it's a great studying resource. Let's say you're working on a problem set [and] you have a question, you can just raise your hand and there's just a bunch of TAs [who] will walk around and help you out, and even if you're working on a class that they don't necessarily, or they aren't necessarily, a TA for, they can probably help you because they've probably taken it before. I’d still say it’s an underrated spot. It’s the vibes of people talking while you're working and people being there to help you. For me, it was really beneficial in my first year and I think a lot more people should utilize it as a resource.
What's your favorite place to study on campus? Is it the SLC?
Not necessarily. I really did like SLC, but I think another one I really like is Kresge Library and just going at night. It was pretty peaceful unless it was midterm season. In my first year, I'd go there, and then I'd walk back, and it was really peaceful at night. I just really liked that memory, like studying pretty late, walking back and just vibing and chilling.
What’s the prettiest and ugliest building on campus?
For prettiest, I really like the VLSB. I don't know if that's the traditional pick, but just all the Greek styling and just seeing like all engravings on the wall. I always enjoy walking by it. As for ugliest, it's like a cop out to say Evans, so I don't want to be boring. I'll try to think of a better one. It's hard. They're all so ugly. So my girlfriend's a Chemical Engineering major, so I have to walk by her buildings a lot, they're just really dreary to me. Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong one, but they're just like cement. So, I guess Latimer.
What’s your favorite bathroom to use on campus?
There's this one in Dwinelle that's kind of hidden [on] the first floor. You have to walk by a bunch of language professors’ offices to get there. But usually, there's no one there and you can just chill. And it's relatively clean I assume because no one uses it. But usually, I'm more of [an] apartment guy.
What’s your favorite library on campus?
Kresge again.
What’s your favorite restaurant in Berkeley?
This answer has definitely changed. It used to be D’yars. I don't know why. We’d go there a lot and it was comfort food. I really enjoyed it. Now, I don’t know if I have a favorite one because I definitely try to be diverse and really try new things. But I think a type of food that I've gotten really into is sushi. Before, the thought of eating raw fish really creeped me out and I just never did it. But then I said, “YOLO” and I did a donutbot with Abishek and we went to a sushi place and it was really good. So, I've been to a few places since then, like Tako Sushi. There's Elephant Sushi in Oakland and Nikko Sushi on Channing/Shattuck. Just trying a bunch of sushi places has been really fun.
What’s your favorite boba shop?
I'll be real. I'm not a huge boba fan, so I do not have an actual answer to this. I guess Taiwanese Professional Tea is pretty solid. I never had any issues there.
Is there anything you'd like to plug in the club, or in general, as a professional development advisor?
We have this professional development Notion. It's all over Slack. I think it's on the advice channel. We have a thread with that Notion and a bunch of other great resources. So make sure to check it out. If you ever have any professional questions, feel free to reach out to me or any other professional advisors. We’re more than happy to help.