Sci-Tech Student Spotlight

IE School of Sci-Tech has built a curriculum that encourages students to innovate and breakthrough the traditional boundaries of studying Sci-Tech. Emili Khachatryan has done exactly that with her determination and drive, building bridges between creativity and technology.  

Coming from Armenia, Emili has spent her years at IE building an impressive resume from serving as her class representative to being a member of the advisory council of Europe representing Youth Development Center of Armenia: Portfolios in Digitalisation and Young People including Artificial Intelligence, Rural Youth Engagement and Quality Labels on Youth Centers. 

With a background in marketing and current academic endeavors in Data Analytics Emili has proven that Sci-Tech does not come in just one form. Her skills have led her to becoming an Ambassador at FemInino Global, the biggest female innovation platform in Armenia, a Data Science Fellow at DataPoint Armenia, a Data Science Intern at Picsart, marketing specialist and researcher at Orbolo GbbH, a business assistant at Davel Creative Agency. A true force and woman in STEM, Emili is one to watch.  

Meet Emili Khachatryan, a third year Business and Data Analytics student at IE.  

What do you like about studying Sci-Tech at IE? 

“Studying Sci-Tech at IE is very enjoyable for me because they give a lot of opportunities to students, with various events where you can apply your knowledge. Also, the professors are very approachable and are ready to help you at any moment and provide guidance.” 

What has your experience been as a woman studying Sci-Tech at IE?  

“I’ve always felt supported as a woman in STEM at IE. I am co-president of the Google Developer Student Club, along with three other women and it is very empowering to be surrounded by so many women interested in STEM. I feel very supported and motivated being here, as the environment is pushing me towards achieving my goals.” 

What advice do you have for people considering studying Sci-Tech at IE?  

“Don’t be scared. I studied at a professional high school in Armenia where I studied Marketing and had never coded before, but coming here I was given a very good base to learn from scratch and now as a third year student I feel confident to do an internship or start working in this field.  

What has been your biggest professional breakthrough?  

My biggest professional breakthrough would be the internship I had at Picsart last summer. Picsart is a company that combines my interests of creativity and marketing along with data analysis. It was a huge goal of mine to work there, and it was amazing to be a part of their team. Another thing that I would consider a breakthrough for me was my team's win at the latest Tech Venture Bootcamp. It showed me that I did not have to be a graduate or have a job in order to launch a startup.” 

How has your experience been in Hackathons and Datathons?  

“I have participated in hackathons and datathons since second year. My first experience was very difficult because we were competing against master and graduate students. My team passed through to the final, which was a great achievement as we were only bachelor year students. After that I participated in the Tech Venture Bootcamp and my team got second place. And recently we participated in the latest edition of the Tech Venture Bootcamp and got first place, which was a very big milestone.”  

How was it living in Segovia and Madrid?  

“Starting the first year in Segovia was an amazing experience for me, especially having never lived abroad before. It was such a nice place to meet people and to be in a bubble where you really felt safe. Segovia will always be in my heart, and will be the fairytale city I tell my grandchildren about. Madrid on the other hand is a lot more career oriented, it is a very different lifestyle. But I think it is great to have both experiences in order to start slow and then get into the big city lifestyle and grow your career.  

What are your plans for after graduation? 

“I am not entirely sure. As of now I plan to work for a bit and then eventually I would love to launch my own business.” 

Watch the full interview here!