I applied to the MGIST program because I wanted to expand, deepen, and refine my skills and knowledge. I have worked as a Geoscience Technician for many years, developing experience and expertise but that still felt one-dimensional.
My goals coming into this program were to increase my overall knowledge and understanding of geospatial work, especially in the framework of emerging spatial technologies and increasingly broad use of geospatial information. Additionally, I sought to acquire skills that I had not developed through my work experience.
During my three years in the MGIST program, I increased my technical knowledge on a variety of topics including data modeling, fundamentals of spatial information systems, website design, spatial modeling, and Python scripting.
The program offered opportunities for personal growth, first by being academically rigorous, providing the right level of challenge but also providing many dimensions of support. When I encountered particularly difficult challenges, I gained valuable insights to myself, my capabilities and gained tools for navigating these difficulties that I will use the rest of my life. When I experienced a significant personal loss during a critical time in the semester my peers and the staff supported me like true champions, showing what teamwork and collaboration is really about.
Engaging with community partners through the capstone project was one of the reasons I selected this program, and it was a deeply rewarding experience. Working with my capstone partner to provide geospatial solutions that will support the local school district was both meaningful and impactful.
Across the MGIST courses, I was able to gain a broad perspective and see the larger picture of how geospatial content, data, visualization and communication methods integrate to support decision-making and inform communities in vitally important ways. Taking electives like Project Management and Globalization and Communication provided a rich context to the more technical aspects of the course work and opened new perspectives for me.
I learned so much during my experience in this program; my professional engagement at work has leveled up significantly, I now have a robust understanding of GIS infrastructure, Python coding, documentation practices and dramatically improved data modeling and design capabilities. I now create detailed project logs for my work, because we often share workflows between colleagues and this has proven to be an invaluable tool for documentation. When I’m working with large datasets, which is common, I now have an informed approach to structuring the data for the most effective use and I feel comfortable using HTML Python and Arcade in my work.
The most significant things I have gained from my experience in this program are learning about my own challenges in the learning environment and developing practices that empower me to succeed, gaining significant technical depth and having the opportunity to engage with other students, faculty and community partners in a meaningful way.
What I have learned through this experience has made me better at my current work and equipped me for the future. I plan to continue with my current employment until retirement, then focus my energy on using GIS in emergency response.
Sarah's Spatial Portfolio 