Published: March 25, 2025 by Gabe Farmer

Embarking on a new academic and professional path is both challenging and rewarding. For iSchool student Ronna Del Rosario, this journey led her from a career in nursing to the field of informatics, where she integrates her healthcare experience with her interest in user design and coding.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Ronna about her career transition, the versatility of informatics and the invaluable support she found through student groups.

From Nursing to Informatics

Ronna’s professional journey began in healthcare. She earned her undergraduate degree in nursing at California State University, East Bay. Coming from a family of nurses, she was familiar with the challenges of electronic health records and data management, and over time, she realized her natural interest in technology and problem-solving could lead to a new career path.

“I had an affinity for learning different technologies, and my family members kept telling me, ‘Maybe you should consider informatics, it’s growing and becoming a big thing,’” Ronna said.

A decade later in 2022, she decided to explore coding, which led her to discover UX design and reignited her interest in informatics. Shortly after, she began her first semester in the SJSU iSchool.

“I loved that San José State’s Informatics program is very human-centered,” she explained. “There’s a strong emphasis on the person as the core, on designing systems for the end user. That’s what drew me in.”

The Versatility of Informatics

Informatics is a field that blends data management, technology and user-centered design, offering professionals the flexibility to work across various industries. Ronna especially appreciates this adaptability, as it allows her to leverage her healthcare background while exploring new technological avenues.

“Informatics is the management, maintenance and analysis of data,” she said. “It’s about taking data—whether in healthcare, business or another field—and transforming it into insights that improve workflows, patient care or business processes.”

The Master of Science in Informatics program is designed to cater to this versatility. The curriculum includes core foundational courses alongside career pathway classes focusing on specific domains such as health and cybersecurity. This structure enables students to tailor their education to align with their career aspirations, ensuring they acquire relevant skills that can be applied in various sectors.

Ronna walked me through one of the more hands-on components of the Informatics program, the Organizational Consulting Project. The project pairs students with partner companies to tackle real-world informatics challenges, giving them direct experience applying their skills in a professional setting. “It makes a lot of sense for those who already have a foot in the tech industry,” she explained. 

Recently, the program expanded the project’s scope to allow students to propose their own consulting work. “Let’s say you’re volunteering at an animal shelter,” Ronna said. “If you wanted to help spruce up their website, that could count as your project.” This flexibility means students can tailor their experience to align with their interests, passions and career goals while also making meaningful contributions to the organizations they care about.

Finding Community Through Student Groups

Transitioning into a new field can be daunting, but Ronna told me she found wonderful support and camaraderie by actively participating in student organizations. She served as the social media coordinator for the UX Student Group and currently holds leadership roles in both the ASIS&T Student Chapter and the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Student Group.

“Getting involved in student leadership has been one of the best decisions I made,” she said. “It helped me make lifelong friends and connect with students from different programs, which is really valuable in a field like informatics.”

As part of her ASIS&T membership, Ronna is participating in the ASIS&T Health Informatics Special Interest Group’s mentorship program. Since June 2023, she has been working closely with her mentor, Dr. Lubna Daraz from the University of Montreal, on research related to digital health information.

“This mentorship really introduced me to research in a way I hadn’t considered before,” Ronna shared. 

As part of the mentorship, Ronna has been assisting with a framework developed to help laypeople assess the credibility and reliability of online digital health information. It’s been an eye-opening experience that has deepened her understanding of informatics and expanded her professional skill set.

The iSchool offers a variety of student groups that provide platforms for networking, skill development and community building. Check out the full list of the student groups, what their focuses are and how to join in this blog post!

Advice for Future Informatics Students

Returning to school after a decade presented its challenges, but Ronna told me she embraced the experience fully and would advise those considering a similar path to do the same.

“Get out of your comfort zone and connect with your classmates,” she advised. “Since informatics is a smaller discipline compared to MLIS, it can sometimes feel isolating. But making the most of networking opportunities early on can be a game changer.”

She also encourages students to embrace the broad spectrum of coursework offered. “I didn’t realize how much variety there was until I started taking classes,” she said. “From Python to digital asset management to electronic records foundations—there’s so much to explore.”

Looking Ahead

Set to graduate in August 2025, Ronna is excited about the possibilities that lie ahead, especially the ones that allow her to use the knowledge she gained in her previous career. Whether delving deeper into UX design, health informatics or other emerging fields, she is eager to apply her diverse skill set to make meaningful contributions to the community.

“There’s so much potential in this field, and I’m looking forward to seeing where my skills take me,” she said.

Ronna’s journey exemplifies the experience of blending prior professional knowledge with new academic pursuits. Her story serves as an inspiration to those looking to pivot their careers and embrace the evolving intersections of technology and human-centered design. 

If you have a classmate with an inspiring story like Ronna, let me know. Comment on this post or send me an email.