EC Wisconsin News

Caden Freeman, a data science major at Lakeland University, is gaining practical experience through internships as he works toward his bachelor's degree. This summer, Freeman worked as a data operations intern with PEAK Genetics in Shawano, Wisconsin. PEAK Genetics is a subsidiary of URUS, which is known as the world's largest provider of bovine genetics. During this internship, Freeman earned seven academic credits by conducting data analysis to help PEAK's leadership make predictions about future production.

Freeman’s participation in Cooperative Education experiences is a requirement for Lakeland’s data science major. He has completed two such professional roles so far. His first was an eight-month business intelligence internship at Amcor in Oshkosh while he was still a student at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College (NWTC). There, he focused on creating interactive dashboards and performing historical analysis for the supply chain team.

Reflecting on his approach to data science and how it aligns with his personal interests and skills, Freeman said: "I have always been a very analytic person," said Freeman, who graduated from NWTC in 2024 with an associate degree in data analytics. "I'm observant of what is around me. I always back my decisions based on reason and research I have done.

"Data science has been a good fit for me. I enjoy it; I enjoy learning about it."

Describing his time at Amcor and the challenges faced when adapting to new environments outside the classroom, Freeman added: "The data landscape there very complex," he said. "It was a lot to handle at first and I remember feeling very overwhelmed until I started to understand the business better and understand what business intelligence looks like.

"I learned to identify what stakeholders need and put myself in the shoes of the people who use those reports."

Freeman also discussed how these experiences contributed to his current work at PEAK Genetics: "I've hit the ground running in this internship," Freeman said. "Because of the smaller scale, I don't feel like a small fish in large lake. I feel like I've made a difference and provided quality while leveling up my data science skills. I have opportunities to do more statistical analysis that I didn't do before.

"At Amcor I was able to get my feet wet. At PEAK I've been able to quickly integrate and apply what I know to make a difference."

Lakeland University's program aims to prepare students for roles that involve using data for predictive analytics, customer behavior insights, pricing optimization, historical performance evaluation, and workflow automation.

Looking ahead toward graduation planned for summer 2026, Freeman expressed interest in pursuing further opportunities more closely related to core data science rather than analytics alone: "Data science sounds more interesting to me, especially with the growth of AI," he said. "Why not level up to data science to apply what I have learned in my analytics roles. I'll have a better skill set, the pay is a bit better and the work is more interesting."

Freeman also shared his intention of working close to home after graduation: "With time and experience and exposure to different roles, I will be happy to get hands-on experience wherever I can," Freeman said. "I'll continue to build my skill set and portfolio so I am a lucrative candidate no matter where I apply."