Let’s take a look at what it took to get in to our latest cohort, DSAU28!
If you are interested in joining one of our future cohorts, this is a great chance to see what kind of visualisations our successful applicants produced. I’ve shared some comments about what made their applications stand out.
If you’re interested in joining one of our future Data School Down Under cohorts, find all of the information you need to apply here.
Cody Batham
Cody transitioned from a career in hospitality management, where he discovered a passion for data while using it to drive business performance. This growing interest led him to The Data School, where he began experimenting with Tableau and quickly realised that working with data was what he truly wanted to pursue. Outside of analytics, Cody enjoys sprinting, strength training, socialising with friends, and exploring fashion and garment design.
Cody focused in on a particular story, that of First Nations Australians. Often when faced with large datasets, people try to show everything. Cody shows in his dashboard how focusing on one clear theme within the dataset leads to a good story.
Cody originally applied for one of our Brisbane cohorts, but then chose to relocate to Sydney, hence the different dataset to the others.
Hoang Ngo
Hoang began his career in landscape architecture, where working with visual design and GIS mapping sparked his interest in data visualisation. He pivoted toward data analytics by completing a Master’s in Information Systems, gaining skills in SQL, Tableau, project management, and coding. Driven to deepen his Tableau expertise, he began self-studying and soon discovered The Data School as the ideal next step for practical, hands-on learning. Outside of work, Hoang enjoys gaming and capturing moments through street photography on sunny days.
Hoang impressed us with strong visual design skills and interesting chart choices throughout the whole interview process.
Cristina
Cristina holds a Master’s in Business Administration with a focus on Big Data and began her analytics journey as a public affairs consultant, where she developed technical skills and a passion for solving complex problems with data. She later moved into the retail sector, helping companies organise and leverage their data for strategic decision-making. Cristina is driven by curiosity and a desire to turn data into insight. In her free time, she enjoys biking, listening to music, and spending quality time with her family.
Cristina brought a blend of great visuals and strong presentation skills. Her dashboards presented throughout the process were always very clear and displayed clear insights to the audience.
Pooja
Pooja holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts and design and recently completed her Master’s in Business Analytics from Macquarie University. Initially inspired by the intersection of creativity and data, she decided to join The Data School to pursue this passion, where she enjoys developing her skills to transform complex data into visually compelling stories.
Outside of work, Pooja enjoys cooking, exploring new forms of art style, and capturing moments through photography.
Pooja focused on a side-by-side comparison dashboard. This is a good technique when faced with a large dataset to focus in on a clear story.
Jack
Jack holds a bachelor’s degree in information technology from Griffith University and has work experience in IT Support and retail. Throughout his studies he discovered a passion for data and presenting it in a visually appealing format. This passion led to Jack applying for The Data School to begin his career in data analytics.
In his spare time, he enjoys reading, live music and watching sport.
Jack dug beyond the high-level statistics to find some interesting insights on timing of ascents and the fatality rate. As with others, he focused on a clear narrative and didn’t overcomplicate his viz.
Nikhara
Nikhara is a passionate mathematician and statistician who completed a Bachelor of Science at Macquarie University, majoring in Mathematics with a minor in Statistical Modelling. She developed her love for data while teaching business statistics and working on research projects at the university. Her experience spans content creation, student support, and in-depth analysis. Now at The Data School, she’s excited to expand her technical skills and create impactful visualisations. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, piano, digital art, and staying active through swimming, yoga, and outdoor walks.
Nikhara used questions and annotations effectively to help guide the user through the visualisation.
What Can Future Applicants Learn?
Once again, this cohort reminded us that the best dashboards aren’t just beautiful — they’re thoughtful, well-structured, and tell a story. Here’s what worked well for DSAU28:
- Focus on a specific narrative – trying to show everything can dilute your impact.
- Guide the user – use comparisons, questions, and layout to lead the way.
- Practice presentation – how you explain your viz is just as important as the design itself.
If you’re thinking about applying, check out our blog or explore the visualisations on Tableau Public. You don’t need to be perfect; just passionate, thoughtful, and ready to learn.
