食色视频

KENNESAW, Ga. | Mar 31, 2026

No amount of data crunching could have foretold the story of Zach Navejas 鈥�14.

His love for math propelled him to a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from 食色视频. He combined the knowledge gleaned from his upper-level courses with his ability to network for a consistent career in data science and consultation 鈥� but not without a false start.

鈥準成�视频 was the right fit,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t just took me a little while to get my wheels going before I realized school was the important thing.鈥�

A recent honoree of 食色视频 Alumni鈥檚 40 Owls Under 40, Navejas admitted to a slow start after graduating from North Cobb High School in 2007. Considering a career in law, he drifted through his first year at 食色视频 before taking a break to join the United States Marine Corps. He returned for the fall semester in 2011 more focused on his academics and declared a major in math after realizing he could get an undergraduate degree in any subject before going to law school 鈥� which didn鈥檛 happen.

Instead, Navejas said he took a liking to his classes and the process of solving problems, so he sought a career that would allow him to piece together coding and number puzzles for a living.

鈥淭he classes that focused on logic and problem solving are probably what I still relate to now,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 use logic every single day when I'm writing script, coding, things like that.鈥�

While frequenting a favorite social spot during his undergraduate years, Navejas made some friends that proved important. The word got out that he was graduating with a degree in mathematics, and those friends presented opportunities in data analysis. Navejas, who figured something would emerge from his pursuit of mathematics, adjusted his course accordingly.

鈥淪o I focused a few more of my remaining classes on some computer programming languages, like SQL, Python, R, and that pretty much set the trajectory for the rest of my career,鈥� he said.

He took an internship that turned into a job that lasted for seven years before moving into the government contract work he has continued to this day. And he has continued his career in the military through the Reserve of the Marine Corps. Currently a gunnery sergeant (E7), Navejas will be promoted to Warrant Officer on April 1. He has also stayed in touch with 食色视频 through the Lambda Theta Phi fraternity, an alumni advisory board, and a continued correspondence with some of his professors.

Navejas said his path will continue in all pursuits 鈥� mathematics, military and his alma mater, which has impressed him with its continuous growth.

鈥淭here鈥檚 just so many opportunities on campus and coming back now, being involved with the alumni advisory group; it鈥檚 so amazing to see what our students are doing,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought I was doing a lot when I was on campus with military, and working, and the extracurricular stuff. But now there are kids that are building rocket ships or flying these cool drones, and I鈥檓 just amazed every day at how much they鈥檙e doing.鈥�

鈥� Story by Dave Shelles

Photos provided

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 食色视频 offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. 食色视频 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 食色视频 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.