Meet Yuta Shimazu, PLU’s first data science graduate

Before he heads back to Japan to begin his career, Yuta Shimazu ‘25 sat down with us to talk about the experiences that shaped his time at PLU, his home away from home for the past four years.

What has your time at PLU been like?

I was definitely one of the busiest students at PLU. Along with taking heavy classes, I was a student-athlete and worked about 15 hours a week at Old Main Market, the coffee shop on campus.

Sounds intense! How do you balance soccer, work, school — everything?

I had to stay extremely organized and careful with my schedule. I’ve been living off-campus with my soccer teammates. We had 6 a.m. practices on Thursdays, so we held each other accountable to wake up and get there on time. That’s something I’ll never forget. We also tried to have dinner together often to stay connected and support each other.

I don’t regret being a student-athlete or majoring in data science. It was rewarding, and staying busy taught me discipline. I know these experiences will help me a lot once I start working in Japan.

What brought you from Japan to pursue your education in the U.S., and why did you choose PLU?

I had three main reasons for choosing PLU: soccer, tuition, and class size. I’ve played soccer competitively my entire life, and I wanted to continue playing at a high level while also focusing on academics. PLU men’s soccer coach John [Yorke] welcomed me to the team, which made the decision easy.

Tuition was also a big factor. At many universities, international students can pay nearly three times as much as local students. PLU, however, offers strong support for international students, which made tuition affordable for me.

Lastly, I’m a bit shy, and I knew I wouldn’t feel comfortable in large lecture halls. PLU’s small class sizes allow me to speak up, build stronger relationships, and learn more effectively.

I wanted to dive into academics a little bit, as your situation is pretty unique. I learned that you’re the first student to graduate with a data science major at PLU. What was that like?

The classes I took changed the way I think. When someone asks me how to solve a problem, my answer is often very different from someone with a business background. I’m not saying my answer is better — it’s just shaped by a different way of thinking.

The data science program definitely helped me stand out, and I believe it played a big role in helping me get a job at Sony.

Exciting to hear that you already have a job lined up. What will you be doing for Sony?

Starting in April 2026, I’ll begin working at Sony’s global headquarters in Tokyo. I’ll be joining the Global Marketing and Sales Department.

Can you share what drew you to data science, and what excites you about the field?

My interest started from a hobby. I used to post soccer videos on Instagram and TikTok. When one of my videos went viral, I wasn’t just happy, I became curious. Why did this video go viral but not the others? I loved looking at the insights and analyzing the patterns to try to recreate that success. That curiosity is basically statistics in the social media world.

I was majoring in computer science when PLU announced the new data science major, and I was excited by the idea of building models to predict which variables make a video go viral. That curiosity became the initial reason I decided to pursue data science.

Finding something that’s both personally intriguing and something you can pursue professionally is huge. What are some other memorable moments you had here at PLU?

My second year at PLU was especially impactful. I tore my ACL at the end of my first year, which forced me to take a break from soccer. That gave me time to focus on my career. I started applying for jobs, joined DataFest at PLU, and eventually landed a summer internship at Bloomberg in 2024. Later, in fall 2024, I received a job offer from Sony. I also earned Best Visualization and second place overall at DataFest 2025.

What about in your soccer career?

In my final year, I had the most meaningful season of my career. I played over 1,500 minutes, scored 6 goals, provided 7 assists, and earned 4 penalty kicks. After returning from a major injury, I prepared intensely for the season, and I’m proud that I was able to perform at my highest level. I was also selected to the Northwest All-Conference First Team, recognizing me as one of the best 11 players in the conference.

Throughout your time here, did you have a mentor or someone you looked up to?

I didn’t really have one specific mentor, but several professors supported me. Dr. Fawcett helped me a lot with my capstone project. Dr. Cao was always incredibly kind. And Dr. Justice was amazing at explaining complicated topics and making them easy to understand.

Looking back, how would you describe PLU’s culture?

It feels like everyone is connected. Since PLU is a small community, and because I worked at the coffee shop almost every day and played soccer, a lot of people recognized me on campus. Many people would stop me on my way to class to ask my name, major, or where I’m from. That’s actually how I made a lot of new friends. I think this sense of connection really defines PLU’s culture.