Born and raised in Germany, Emily-Tabea Johnson moved with her family to the United States and Fort Benning in 2021 and soon enrolled at Columbus State University. After initially studying art, she shifted her focus to the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies program. The program has allowed her to combine several interests—including data science and global communication—into a single program of study with a minor in data analytics.

“I’ve been able to pursue my interests and mash them together into one degree,” she explained of the Interdisciplinary Studies program. “I am passionate about leveraging data to solve complex problems, and I thrive on challenges and adapting to new situations—all of which I’ve seen the need for during my internships.”

Various on- and off-campus data-related internships allowed her to apply what she was learning in her classes and to further customize her studies. When Dr. Kristin Seamon Lilly, an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics, suggested an internship at nearby Fort Benning, Johnson jumped at the opportunity. She also sought guidance from the university’s Center for Career Design on registering for internships and how the internship would qualify for academic credit.

Johnson described her duties during her four-month Fort Benning internship last fall as helping Army decision-makers solve problems by cleaning and organizing data sets, and developing dashboards in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Power BI. One of her projects involved examining data on how enlisted soldiers progressed through training and duty assignments, and where bottlenecks in that progression might occur.

“Interning has shown me what ‘real-world’ work problems look like. Understanding patterns and answering the ‘why’ can be the most exciting part of data analytics,” she explained. “That made everything feel real and meaningful [during my internship]—like my work actually contributed to something bigger.”

Outside of team meetings and projects during her internship, she attended high-level meetings that included the posts’ generals and other top leadership. She said that hearing them provide decision updates and discuss situations gave her a whole new perspective on the problems her team worked on.

“Emily brought a rare blend of curiosity, technical skill and maturity that immediately elevated the work of our team,” said Col. Corey Woods, the Maneuver Center of Excellence’s deputy chief of staff who oversees the internship program and supported Johnson’s efforts throughout her internship. “She didn’t just build dashboards; she helped us see our data differently. Her ability to break down complex problems, ask sharp questions and turn raw information into clear, actionable insights made a genuine impact on how we support soldiers and leaders across the installation. Emily has a bright future ahead of her, and we were fortunate to have her on the team.”

“This project provided an excellent opportunity to leverage a motivated two-person intern team, of which Emily was a key member, to tackle an analytical effort we had long identified but lacked the bandwidth to pursue,” added Lt. Col. (ret.) Dan Evans, the Maneuver Center of Excellence’s chief data and analytics officer and Johnson’s supervisor. “The problem set was intentionally ambiguous, and the learning curve was steep; however, the team ramped up quickly, demonstrated initiative from the outset, and ultimately applied their own creative perspective to the work. In an analytics environment, a fresh set of eyes can often surface insights or approaches that established teams may overlook, and Emily’s contributions exemplified the value of that outside perspective.” 

In addition to applying what she learned, Johnson said one of the greatest advantages of her Fort Benning experience was contributing to projects and witnessing life in a professional environment.

“The classroom can be very organized, and the problems and solutions clearly defined,” she said. “[During my internship], I was able to see my fellow team members and supervisors struggle with the same questions and problems I did. It was an eye-opener to realize you don’t always have the immediate answer, and that’s okay.”

She also credits her internship with helping her better understand team dynamics and hone her project-management skills.

“Working in a team was its own adventure,” she said. “I learned how differently people collaborate, how to communicate clearly, and how to ask the right questions—both about my work and others’. It pushed me in good ways and helped me figure out how I like to work.”

Outside her studies and internship experiences, she’s built strong social and professional connections as an officer of the Women in Tech student organization and as its representative to the Student Government Association.

“It’s really helped me connect with others in the tech environment—classmates, professors and professionals in the field,” she said of her co-curricular experiences. “It’s also helped me with my public speaking skills and collaborating with others.”

Interning at Fort Benning has expanded Johnson’s understanding of the military, which will serve her well in her post-graduation plans. She is heavily leaning toward commissioning as an officer in either the Army or Air Force while continuing to apply her data analytics expertise.