I graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Political Science.   I completed my postgraduate certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Penn State University in September (2016).  I am currently working to obtain my MSc in Geographic Information Systems from Penn State University.

I came to geography and GIS in an obscure fashion.  Geography as a subject was cut when I was in elementary and high school.  Instead, students were offered a class titled Social Studies.  Social Studies was an amalgamation of history and human geography. I was never tasked to learn the state capitals or the topography of California.  It was through my internships during and after my B.A. that I discovered what geography and GIS was.

To quote Harm De Blij’s 2005 essay titled Why Geography Matters, “geographers are especially well placed to assess the complicated relationships between human societies and natural environments.” It is my opinion that everything, absolutely everything is connected, and when we begin to recognize this a pattern begins to emerge. Recognition of this pattern allows one to better navigate their world.  My studies in GIS have equipped me with the skills to identify patterns and illuminate the inherent connectivity in our world.