My name is Peter Rizkallah and I come from Northern Virginia, specifically Alexandria. I attended T.C. Williams High School, which is the largest public school in Virginia to date. Something that I would like for you to know about me is that I am very adaptable. I am a first-generation American and have been always looking to improve my understanding of the world for myself and my family. The motivation I have for doing well without necessarily having a backbone for education is inseparable from my identity as a scholar and a person. In essence, I care about the roots of where being able to pursue education came from, which are the sacrifices my parents have made to put me in this seat today. This has taught me that it is a true privilege to go to school and to not take a single moment for granted. Just as a pointer, I stand at a height of 6 feet so I will most likely be bumping into everything in sight. Moreover, I have held the student leader position for the Environmental Council of Alexandria in an effort to preserve wild flora and fauna that inhabit Alexandria, Virginia. The concept of sustainability has such a broad definition, but it can be applied to almost anything around us, from backyards, schools, and landfills. As for my hobbies, I like to play violin in orchestral ensembles, but I also enjoy playing solo repertoire. Some of my favorite classical composers consist of Brahms and Tchaikovsky.

Some of my interests in academics include the study of international relations and the development of technology that is used to protect the human population. I am drawn to the need for cooperation in a system of states that may or may not share the same values because it is essential for the well-being of innocent lives that depend on global interdependence. To elaborate on this, I would like to specialize in a career that deals with gathering intelligence for the sake of maintaining national security. This can range from clandestine affairs officers in the C.I.A. or a policy analyst in the Department of Homeland Security. During my time at William & Mary, I would like to explore these careers routes by doing research at the Global Research Institute, which will encourage me to branch out and work with professors on their own research. Whatever may be in my future, I know that I would like to incorporate technology with protecting and advancing the nation in some way, shape, or form.

I think data science is an emerging field in education that studies trends that may be on a micro or macro level. With data that is widely available to many people, data science has the power to harness authority over several domains in the world. It has been used to study problems in areas such as disaster management, land use, climate change, and plenty more. Most importantly, I think of data science as a progressive field that specializes in social movements while also retaining its identity as a technical profession, which can be a rare gem to come across. Although I believe data science is a powerful tool, it can serve to be a blessing and a curse at the same time. If not utilized properly, it can perpetuate inaccurate notions that are full of fallacious information for people to absorb. Information, whether it is true or false, can then be transported to other corners of the world and shape perceptions of mankind. This can influence media and the type of news that is being broadcasted to civilians that are behind the scenes. Therefore, I think that data science can be harnessed to support the human population as long as it accommodates the area that it is focused on. This goes back to what I would like to study because people tend to compare countries to others in an effort to measure power, but I think that each country, in terms of development, has its own struggles that must be strategically addressed to avoid biases in the international system.