Daniella Pombo (LUC B.S. '21, UChicago M.B.A ’24) has built her academic and professional journey around a love for learning and seizing every opportunity. Though her path has been anything but straightforward, she embraces the twists and turns, finding gratitude in the unexpected chances that come her way.

This mindset of valuing every opportunity, regardless of how far it veers from her original plan, is rooted in her family's history. Her parents emigrated from Cuba and Nicaragua, fleeing poverty, war, and violence, working relentlessly to build a better life. “Given my family’s adversities, I’ve always viewed learning as a gift and blessing,” Daniella reflects. “Many people are not afforded the same privilege of education. Thus, as a form of gratitude, I strive to pursue all learning opportunities available to me… because why not!”

From Pre-Health to Mathematics

Daniella chose to pursue her undergraduate degree at Loyola University Chicago. She started off studying biology on the pre-health track, with her sights set on getting into medical school. Of the many required courses for her program, she particularly dreaded calculus. She had bad experiences with math classes in the past, and consequently felt like she was simply not good at it. However, her perception of the subject and her abilities changed after taking a calculus class with Dr. Christine Haught. “I felt welcomed, encouraged, and supported in that class. I fondly recall her having so much patience with me, answering every question with an empowering note. That was one of the first math courses I performed well in and enjoyed.”

After taking another calculus course and excelling, Dr. Haught encouraged her to pursue a math major. “Although I loved the math curriculum, it was quite theoretical. I wanted to have strong economic opportunities immediately post college, thus I felt that theory might not be the best fit for me.” However, it just so happened that the department was launching the Applied Mathematics major that year and Dr. Tingley, head of the Mathematics Department, invited and encouraged her to be a member of the first ever cohort. As a result, Daniella was one of the firsts to receive a major in applied mathematics with a computational science track at Loyola University Chicago.

Daniella’s experiences inspired her to found the Women in Science and Math (WISAM) club at Loyola. “Going through a STEM degree is not easy at all. It's a lot of stress and sleepless nights. We found many of our fellow women colleagues didn't feel supported when they started working, which contributed to low STEM career retention rates, and that was frustrating for me.” Still active today, the club provides career support to female STEM majors and empowers them as they enter the workforce.

From Mathematics to Business

In her junior year, Daniella secured a statistics internship at a biotech firm in Silicon Valley. Soon after, she applied to IBM and got a summer internship as a cognitive software developer, which eventually led to a full-time position after graduation.

With encouragement from Dr. Haught and Dr. Peter Tingley, Head of the Mathematics Department at Loyola, Daniella decided to pursue an MBA at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business in the evening part-time program. At Booth, she focused on finance and strategy, applying her mathematics background to business settings. “I don't think I would've been as comfortable applying to Booth if it were not for the support of Dr. Tingley and Dr. Haught. They were my champions. They encouraged me to push myself and really explore and be ambitious with my interests. I’m very grateful for them.”

An Intersectional Role at IBM

With her newly acquired business expertise, she took on a strategy operations and portfolio management role at IBM. There, she manages a multimillion-dollar portfolio of clients with a focus on business strategy. “I would not have imagined that there existed roles within the intersection of so many exciting fields and disciplines. I spent most of my childhood adamant that I only wanted to be a doctor. It was only later that I became aware of the diversity of career paths, in part due to Loyola’s Jesuit education.”

Daniella’s journey has taken her through so many different fields. From biology to mathematics to computer science to software engineering to business, she continues to learn and doesn’t see herself stopping. “Switching from Pre Health to Applied Mathematics, and from Software Developer & Data Scientist to Quantum Engagement Manager, I have learned of the immense value of pivots and adaptability — one cannot foresee nor create the future, but one may grow with the changes.”

She hopes that all Ramblers stay open to different opportunities and continue to learn, even long after they graduate. “Enjoy the ride of changes and redirections; these valuable life and learning moments will take you to a better and brighter place you could not have initially imagined.”

About the College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences is the oldest of Loyola University Chicago’s 15 schools, colleges, and institutes. More than 150 years since its founding, the College is home to 20 academic departments and 37 interdisciplinary programs and centers, more than 450 full-time faculty, and nearly 8,000 students. The 2,000+ classes that we offer each semester span an array of intellectual pursuits, ranging from the natural sciences and computational sciences to the humanities, the social sciences, and the fine and performing arts. Our students and faculty are engaged internationally at our campus in Rome, Italy, as well as at dozens of University-sponsored study abroad and research sites around the world. Home to the departments that anchor the University’s Core Curriculum, the College seeks to prepare all of Loyola’s students to think critically, to engage the world of the 21st century at ever deepening levels, and to become caring and compassionate individuals. Our faculty, staff, and students view service to others not just as one option among many, but as a constitutive dimension of their very being. In the truest sense of the Jesuit ideal, our graduates strive to be “individuals for others.”