A bit about me…
My name is Bill Konyk and I started working on data science projects in 2018 after finishing grad school. This was a bit of a change for me: I had been planning on becoming a professor in physics. God had other plans, however, and after a disappointing job search I was looking into other options. Following some advice from a former professor, I started exploring data science positions and taking some online courses. Since machine learning is basically just a clever combination of linear algebra and statistics I already had the mathematical background. Ultimately, a different position in supply chain opened up but by then I was already nerd sniped. I started with what I thought would be an easy project, scraping the SBC’s resolutions from sbc.net and running a standard algorithm to identify topics….
The hope and prayer is that I will be able to continue working on related projects, applying the technical knowledge I’ve acquired through my professional career to something that can directly glorify God.
Answers to some other questions you may have…
What’s your story?
I grew up in a Lutheran Church and attached private school. I came to know God gradually as I was growing up, never having a single ‘conversion’ moment. After confirmation I began to wonder whether the faith was my own or not. In college God guided me to an SBC church focused on evangelism and community, and there I was able to take ownership of my faith. Since then it’s been a race to endure and mature in the faith through marriage, grad school, children, and a professional career, ultimately looking forward to the hope of redemption we have in Christ.
What’s with the site name?
The title is an allusion to Hebrews 11, where the author reminds us that men and women of have, through faith, accomplished great things. While data science is nowhere near as impressive as conquering kingdoms or persevering under torture, one can still use the gifts God has supplied for His glory. I hope to be able to use the technical knowledge and programming skills that I’ve been given to serve Christ.
What’s with the unrelated images on this site?
They’re from my PhD work in theoretical physics. I ended up producing thousands of figures through my years in grad school, and, while most of them were unpublishable, they were certainly beautiful. God has created everything to be beautiful in its time, even abstract mathematical functions…