I’ve always been obsessed with maps. Drawing maps, playing map games, and later playing Europa Universalis IV, a game that allows you to micromanage countries during historical events.

But I always knew that geography was more than pretty maps and cool games. Geography directly correlates with people — how they move, interact with the land, do business. In short, it tells the story of how they live.

This is why I was very excited to work for the U.S. Department of Commerce: Census Bureau. My work as an Enumerator for the Census allowed me to do fieldwork in Baltimore City to gather the data in person that would later be analyzed, organized and used to make real-world changes and adjustments in our society.

During college, I followed a path more directed toward the study of GIS. After seeing how data can be collected in the field, I now am fascinated by how that data can be much more easily displayed and utilized with highly detailed maps.