Meet a Trailblazer Who Wants to Use Data to Break Down Barriers

Chrishna Brooks likes puzzles. “There are no instructions,” she said. “You put the pieces together and think ‘What can I build?’” Brooks has already built a lot. And she’s ready to build more. “AI is a tool, and every tool needs a builder,” said Brooks.

As she prepares to receive her Bachelor's Degree in Business Analytics from the UNT Dallas School of Business, Brooks is entering a workforce that is changing at lightning speed. Data – and how to slice and dice it – is a focus like never before. Businesses need innovative professionals with analytical skills. “I like math, I like data,” she said. “Real data is messy. It’s not perfect. Someone has to be testing it. Someone has to be programming.”

Brooks was accepted at five North Texas colleges. She chose UNT Dallas for its combination of academic rigor and value. Using a combination of grants, financial aid and scholarships, “I could go here and be debt-free,” Brooks said proudly.

She received an Achieve the Dream Scholarship, including $3,000 per year for two years, available to transfer students who maintain a 3.0 GPA and enroll in 12 semester credit hours each semester. Brooks transferred here in Dallas College, where she earned associate degrees in Science and Business Administration and a certificate in HR.

UNT Dallas was the perfect choice to continue her educational journey. After all, Brooks is a true trailblazer. She is the first in her family to graduate from college. She doesn’t shy away from a challenge. And she has faced many. “Statistics – it almost took me out,” Brooks said about her most frustrating course. At 35, Brooks has more life experience than most  of her undergraduate classmates. Before zeroing in on data analytics, she worked a variety of jobs, from construction to crossing guard, home healthcare provider to substitute teacher.

Her most important job, though, has been as a mom. She calls her six-year-old daughter Kimberly Renea, “My princess.” Brooks and her husband tried to start a family for a long time. She miscarried six times before Kimberly was conceived. “She was my seventh pregnancy,” Brooks said. She needed to be on bed rest for much of the time before Kimberly was born. “She was my Lucky #7.”

Brooks was so thrilled at finally becoming a mother, she wanted to have a second child. “It was a treacherous experience,” Brooks said. Doctors warned her she might have another miscarriage. And she did. “You question what you’re doing. Every pregnancy is different. I have to come to terms with it.”

Brooks admits a certain stubbornness – or hardheadedness, which can also be interpreted as persistence and dedication. “I’m Super Mom. I need 26 hours a day,” Brooks said. “It can be a good quality, but you have to know when to stop.”

One thing Brooks doesn’t want to stop doing is helping people. Whether at school, at home, or at work. “It feeds my soul to help others,” she said. Brooks demonstrated that commitment while working in the university’s Student Solutions Center. “You see every student who needs help – financial aid, registrar, admissions.”

Brooks says all of her courses over the past two years have been impactful. She says one of the greatest benefits has been the experiential education, a hallmark of UNT Dallas. “The professors all make sure you have hands-on experience,” Brooks said. She credits Dr. Cathy Scott and Dr. Shikhar Acharya with ensuring she thrived. “He (Dr. Acharya) makes sure we have data to work with – a data set from a real business,” Brooks explained.

In one case, it was sales data from a local liquor business hoping to find out why sales increased in certain parts of the year. The business wanted advice for inventory control. Those kinds of real-life scenarios are designed to ensure UNT Dallas graduates are career-ready when they graduate. “I feel very well-prepared,” Brooks said.

If Brooks or any other student needs assistance preparing for a job interview, the UNT Dallas Office of Career Services is there for advice and guidance. They conduct mock interviews and provide valuable feedback. “They put me through the ringer before the real interview,” Brooks said with a smile.

She has also gained real-world experience through a recent internship at Be Natural Music Therapy and Wellness, a nonprofit dedicated to improving mental and physical health in underserved communities. Brooks has streamlined the organization's onboarding process, putting her IT, HR and data knowledge and skills to excellent use.

At the recent School of Business Awards Banquet to celebrate students’ accomplishments and the end of the academic year, Brooks received a Trailblazer Award for her outstanding achievements. She is graduating with honors. “I didn’t know anyone was watching,” she said modestly.

Brooks' mother Kim was there for the presentation. She was a Trailblazer, too – the first woman to drive a concrete truck in the City of Garland. “It paid more than driving a school bus,” Brooks said about her mother’s choice. She did it for 17 years, since I was in third grade.”

It was a full-circle moment for Brooks, who remembers her mom as an “imposing figure” back in the day when she worked fulltime while raising a family. Now, Brooks finds herself in a similar position, although in a different profession. As she looks ahead to a technology-driven career, Brooks is reminiscent about the past and optimistic about the future. “I want to use data to unblock barriers,” she said.