Owning My Growth: A Planner’s Path
I didn’t always know I wanted to be a transportation planner. When people ask how I found my way into this field, I often joke that it was serendipitous, but the longer story is that my career path has been shaped by curiosity, reflection and a willingness to embrace unexpected opportunities.
The Building Blocks of My Career
Growing up, the signs were all there: I loved Legos, spent hours playing SimCity, and was actively involved in my local youth commission. Despite this, I didn’t know urban planning was a career path available to me. I initially pursued environmental engineering in college before taking an urban studies course during my senior year that completely shifted my perspective. That course, and the subsequent rabbit hole I dove into to research urban planning, made me realize that planning aligned with the kind of impact I wanted my career to have.
I’ve always been drawn to work that positively affects communities, especially those that have been historically underserved. I’ve learned that transportation planning is the perfect vehicle for that. Transportation shapes access to opportunity, whether that means getting to work, accessing childcare or safely reaching the grocery store. Recognizing the real impact transportation systems have on people’s daily lives is what continues to drive my passion for this work.
Shaping My Path at HDR
When I joined HDR, I was still new to the transportation industry and knew I had a lot to learn. Since then, I’ve made it a priority to invest in my own development by pursuing opportunities that challenge and inspire me. I’ve engaged in webinars, trainings, mentorship opportunities and practice groups that have expanded both my technical knowledge and my understanding of HDR’s range of multidisciplinary services.
One of the most meaningful experiences in my professional growth has been my involvement in HDR’s community analytics practice group. Through that work, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with a team of geographic information systems and strategic communications professionals whose data-driven and community-centered approaches to project development and public involvement have broadened the way I think about transportation planning and equitable engagement.
For me, owning my work means owning my growth. It means staying curious, seeking out opportunities to learn, and being intentional about building a career that aligns with my passions and values.
While serendipity may have played a role in helping me discover this profession, my journey since then has been shaped by conscious decisions to continue learning, growing and turning curiosity into action.
As a young professional, I’m still discovering the kind of planner I hope to become, and with every experience, mentorship connection and new challenge, that vision continues to come into focus.
