Mark Jayson M. Farol
Summary
I was born in a rural area in the Philippines, where ambition often grows alongside uncertainty and where education can feel deeply personal because of what it makes possible. Moving to the United States and continuing my education here reshaped my world. It demanded adaptation, resilience, and the ability to keep building even while learning a new environment, a new academic culture, and a new sense of what my future could become.
Over time, that journey became the foundation of who I am today. I grew into someone who moves across disciplines with purpose: economics, statistics, research, teaching, music, performance, and creative expression. My path through high school in the United States, undergraduate study at UNLV, and graduate training in quantitative economics gave me more than credentials. It gave me a way of thinking grounded in rigor, curiosity, communication, and a strong belief that analytical work should stay connected to human lives. This page tells that story through the experiences, education, and roles that shaped me.
Education
My educational journey began in the Philippines and continued in the United States, where attending high school marked a major turning point in my life. That transition carried more than a change in geography. It meant adjusting to a different culture, a different school system, and a different set of expectations while learning how to carry my own story with confidence.
At the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, I pursued my Bachelor of Science in Business Administration while also completing a minor in Theatre. My undergraduate years allowed both sides of me to grow at the same time: the analytical side drawn to economics, data, and systems, and the creative side that found meaning in performance, storytelling, and expression.
I was later admitted to UNLV’s Master of Arts in Quantitative Business Economics, a program that sharpened my abilities across economic theory, statistics, applied quantitative analysis, and econometric methods. Graduate study strengthened both my technical foundation and my professional maturity.
Master of Arts
Quantitative Business Economics, University of Nevada, Las VegasAdvanced graduate training in economic theory, applied statistics, quantitative research, and econometric methods. Recognized as Commencement Speaker for leadership, academic dedication, and contribution to the program.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Economics, University of Nevada, Las VegasBuilt a multidisciplinary foundation across business, economics, communication, and performance, including early research development, scholarly writing, and publication.
Minor in Theatre
University of Nevada, Las VegasStrengthened storytelling, public-facing confidence, collaboration, and performance discipline alongside analytical training in economics and research.
Advanced Diploma
Liberty High SchoolThe transition into U.S. schooling built the adaptability, confidence, and persistence that later shaped my academic and professional trajectory.
Experience
My labor force experience began while I was a full-time undergraduate student working part-time at kate spade new york. That role taught me accountability, consistency, and what it meant to perform inside a fast-moving environment where expectations were measurable and where your contribution affected the team immediately.
As I grew into the role and was promoted to Lead Sales Associate, my responsibilities expanded significantly. I continued handling client-facing work while also taking on greater responsibility in training, coaching, team support, and operational execution.
As my academic work became more rigorous and demanding, I made the decision to step away from retail and devote myself fully to being a student and developing as a scholar. That decision opened doors that later shaped my work through research presentations, publication, and graduate study.
UNLV Department of Economics
Graduate ResearcherFaculty-supervised research collaboration focused on higher-education finance, tuition-setting, and college pricing. Built institution-year data infrastructure using Python, SQL, panel econometrics, and validation workflows.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Graduate Teaching AssistantSupported instruction across five economics courses, built lecture materials, led review sessions, and mentored students through quantitative concepts, empirical projects, and final presentations.
Kate Spade New York
Lead Sales AssociatePromoted into a leadership role driving strong revenue performance, customer experience, and day-to-day floor execution while overseeing opening and closing operations.
Kate Spade New York
Sales AssociateDrove revenue through high-touch customer experience, clienteling, strong product storytelling, and a consistent record of service and sales performance.
Projects
My projects bring together the different ways I build. Some projects begin with a technical problem: messy data, disconnected sources, weak infrastructure, or a missing tool that slows serious research down. Others begin with a question about education, behavior, opportunity, or communication.
Data Engineering
Longitudinal data pipelines, panel construction, variable harmonization, and reproducible workflows built to turn complex raw datasets into research-ready systems.
Read moreResearch Papers
Empirical and policy-driven writing on higher education, financial aid, affordability, and institutional behavior grounded in quantitative methods and econometric analysis.
Read moreEconomic Tools
Applied tools, interfaces, and research utilities designed to make economic data, variable selection, and analytical workflows more usable, transparent, and efficient.
Read moreOther Publications
Additional written work including essays, working papers, commentary, and public-facing scholarship beyond formal research manuscripts.
Read moreCreative Roles
Performance, music, theatre, and interdisciplinary creative work that strengthens storytelling, communication, presence, and the human side of analytical practice.
Read moreProfiles
A curated hub of academic, professional, technical, and creative presence across the web.
Read moreCertifications
My certifications reflect a broader habit of mine: I treat learning as something continuous, applied, and alive beyond the classroom. After building a strong academic foundation through economics, statistics, and quantitative research, I continued developing my technical skills through structured training in data science, analytics, finance, and evidence-based problem solving.
The Securities Industry Essentials (SIE)
FINRAA foundational securities-industry exam covering core products and their risks, market structure, regulatory agencies, and prohibited practices.
Environmental, Social, & Governance Specialization
Corporate Finance InstituteFocused on sustainable finance, stakeholder expectations, and the risks and opportunities shaping investment and strategy decisions.
Capital Markets & Securities Analyst (CMSA)
Corporate Finance InstituteFocused on how global markets operate and how securities are traded, valued, and analyzed across major asset classes.
Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA)
Corporate Finance InstituteBuilt practical financial modeling, forecasting, valuation, dashboarding, and analytical presentation skills.
Data Scientist Associate
DataCampStructured training in Python, data analysis, visualization, statistical reasoning, and applied analytical workflows.
Skills
My skills were built across research, education, professional work, and the arts, which is why they function less like separate categories and more like connected branches of the same system.
Economics, Finance & Policy
- Higher-education finance
- Pricing and aid systems
- Market analysis
- Policy interpretation
Statistics, Econometrics & Research
- Panel econometrics
- Fixed effects
- Instrumental variables
- Causal inference
Data Science, Programming & Engineering
- Python
- DuckDB
- PyArrow
- Reproducible ETL
- Data validation
Communication, Teaching & Leadership
- Lecture design
- Student mentoring
- Public speaking
- Stakeholder translation
Creative & Performance Practice
- Music
- Acting
- Storytelling
- Stage presence
- Interdisciplinary collaboration
© Mark Jayson Martinez Farol