This year I had the incredible opportunity of attending the 2026 user conference as a student assistant. This experience was more than I could’ve imagined and introduced me to so many incredible pathways to which I could use GIS. From hands-on learning to professional networking, it was truly an amazing experience I am so grateful to have had. My name is Emilie Cahill, in May I graduated from Boston University with my Master’s degree in Remote Sensing and Geospatial Science and in this blog post I will talk about my time as a student assistant at the 2026 Esri User Conference, and all the amazing experiences that came with it!
Day to Day as an Esri Student Assistant:
As a student assistant, I was able to not only help support the conference through different tasks over the week, but also attend all the different expo booths, speakers, and demos that go on every day. Though the task or job changed every day, the flow of the day for me stayed the same.
I work the morning shift every day of the conference which began with grabbing coffee and breakfast with other student assistants, then walk to the San Diego Convention Center and begin work for the day. My shifts generally ended around noon or 1:00pm and then we were free to attend whatever session or event was happening for the rest of the conference that day!
The job I enjoyed the most during the week was registration because it gave me the incredible opportunity to network and meet so many people as they were arriving to get their badge. I did registration at both the Hilton and the convention center, and being introduced to people from the defense industry, local government, and environmental fields really reinforced the idea that there are so many different ways GIS can be used to solve problems.
Working as a student assistant really gave a clear, behind the scenes look at everything that goes into making the Esri User Conference so incredible; from meeting other Esri staff, to the Esri Creative Lab team, and all the Esri events people involved, it was something that I will never forget.
Expos and Demos, SIGs and Socials:
The other half of my time was spent attending everything else the conference had to offer such as sessions, workshops, socials, the expo hall, demos, and more.
My Main Takeaways were:
- The Esri Career Booth: As someone who just completed graduate school, GIS jobs and resumes have been at the front of my mind. The help provided by Esri recruiters inside the expo hall was beneficial and it truly helped me to gain a clear understanding of what options were out there for me.
- The Artificial Intelligence Portion of the Plenary: This really helped to show how AI can be used as a supplement to the work that is already being done the geospatial world.
- The State and Local Government Special Interest Group: Showcased how GIS is powering faster, smarter emergency response for cities and counties. From real-time incident mapping to coordinating resources during disasters. It was eye-opening to see how spatial data is becoming mission-critical when every minute counts.
- The YPN Social: I got to meet Jack Dangermond during this social when he came to speak to the all the Student Assistants. He spoke on the importance of being interested rather than interesting, and how that a change that small can make all the difference.
Speakers that Inspired:
One of the biggest highlights of the week was being able to listen to so many distinguished professionals within the geospatial world talk about how they have used Esri technology so far in their careers. Lauren Bennett, Director - Spatial Analysis and Data Science at Esri, and Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist at Esri, spoke during the Student Assistant Dinner. They emphasized the importance of creativity and continuing to have new ideas in a world that is constantly changing.
Lauren Bennett highlighted how important it was to rely on human ingenuity and stand up for yourself. To say ‘yes’ to everything and advocate for all that you want. Dawn Wright spoke on her path from being a professor to becoming the chief scientist at Esri.
I was lucky enough to then go and see Dawn speak again at the science symposium on Wednesday as well as getting to meet her personally afterwards with a few other of the student assistants. She truly embodies someone who loves what they do and was so down to earth, it was inspiring.
Presenting Myself:
Another highlight of my week was presenting my research at the Young Professional Networks Lightning Talks. The session brought together six student assistants from the conference, each sharing their own research with the audience. My presentation focused on my graduate research, which examined the spatial patterns of human trafficking arrests and the neighborhood characteristics associated with those locations. Presenting and engaging with the audience was an incredible opportunity, it pushed me to condense complex findings into a clear, accessible narrative, and the questions I received afterward gave me valuable new perspectives to bring back to my research.
Final thoughts:
The Esri User Conference creates a unique experience that allows you to be surrounded by so many geospatial professionals who all share the same goal and passion for GIS. This conference was one of the best weeks of my life, that reinforced my own passion for the field, and I can’t wait for next year’s user conference!
If you’re interested in applying to be an Esri student assistant, you can find more information on this webpage: https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/careers/student-jobs
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at cahillem@bu.edu if you have any questions.
