Ways I am Cultivating Meaningful Relationships with GIS Professionals as a Student
Hi everyone! My name is Ava Healy, a current graduate student studying geographic information science/technology and geography. From sharing career advice to hosting university wide GIS events, I want to share my experiences in fostering community within geospatial spaces!
My Path to GIS…
I have always been a geographer– even before I knew what that word meant.
I took my first geographic information systems (GIS) class during my junior year as an undergraduate. The classroom had one of the best views of Mount Holyoke’s campus and the professor was enthusiastic about geospatial data. However, I was nervous to start my journey into geospatial geography. I was never the best at math or coding. And an unfortunate rugby accident left me with a concussion for the second half of the semester.
Nevertheless, I was determined to be a more well rounded geographer. When I submitted my application to UMass’ geography graduate program, I was asked which program I’d like to start– a masters in geography or a masters in geographic information science and technology. With quick thinking, I decided to jump into GIS again– with a clean record of any brain injury.
Mount Holyoke College GEO Club Co-Founder
The MHC GEO Club was a passion project born from my colleague and good friend Piper Hattenbach and I’s desire to uplift underrepresented scientists and build community in the Connecticut River Valley.
During my time as a board member, I was able to create events, field trips, and social media posts on the focus of geoscience. This led to the club getting nominated for the distinguished student award in 2024. In addition to this, our community voted for us in the Geology Tee-Off, where we got second place in 2024 and third place in 2025. Nevertheless, we are still blown away by Mount Holyoke College's support, thank you for loving the earth!
Thank you, MHC GEO Club, you are one of the most rewarding parts of my Mount Holyoke Experience. To my community and friends-- Thank you.
Esri YPN
In September 2024, I attended Geological Society of America (GSA) Connects in Anaheim, California. There, I met the friendly face of Rosemary Boone at the Esri booth. That’s when I learned about Esri Young Professionals Network (YPN)!
Through connecting with Esri YPN, I learned that Esri offers a Student Assistantship program to support young professionals going to conferences, meeting others, and networking! In addition to that, it is a welcoming community for those just starting their GIS journey or experienced professionals new to the field. Which included me!
A month later, I became a YPN Ambassador for the program! I was so excited to connect with other professionals in GIS! The possibilities were endless and I quickly began to work on fostering a community.
November 13th 2024: GIS Day at UMass Amherst!
My first event I helped create was GIS Day at UMass. I spent a month working, brainstorming, and creating all the bits and pieces to have the event run smoothly.
With all that hard work… GIS Day 2024 was a huge success! The keynote, Dr. Ufuoma Ovienmhada, had a record turnout and contributed to rich GIS conversations with many disciplines. In addition, the event boasted a record number of people participating in the Silly Map/Powerpoint Presentation session, and number of trivia questions posed.
I presented my Powerpoint “Kiss, Marry, Kill– GIS Software”, which won the prize for Funniest Powerpoint and was even featured in the Gisette MassGIS Newsletter. This silly GIS presentation allowed for interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge on what GIS can be used for– even ranking them!
With the success of GIS Day, I was itching to host another event and started planning for a similar event during the spring semester.
Student Assistant at Esri FedGIS 2025
In February 2025, I was given the amazing opportunity of being an Esri Student Assistant at the Esri Federal GIS Conference (FedGIS) in Washington DC. This position gave me a behind the scenes look at how conferences are organized and so smoothly run. I personally helped with attendee registration, distributing swag bags, technical session monitoring, and conference logistics by directing flow of traffic and answering questions.
I was also able to attend sessions! The half-day gave me the freedom to attend talks that interested me, along with getting a behind the scenes look at all this conference.
In addition to sessions, I attended a LOT of networking events! I was able to get career guidance, help with my CV, and connections from people in similar career paths from this experience. I chatted with fellow EsriYPN members, where we talked about events we would plan for our GIS community back at our home institution!
Sounds interesting? Apply for the Esri User Conference Student Assistant Position: https://app.ripplematch.com/v2/public/job/422b0bcc/details?from_page=tracking_link&tl=b96b5944 Remember: Applications close May 9, 2025! Hope to see you there!
April 9th 2025: Oh, Mappy Day at UMass Amherst!
Refreshed from my time at FedGIS, I was ecstatic to get started on the hard planning of “Oh, Mappy Day” at UMass. It was GIS Day Part Two, with interesting speakers, events, and, of course, a Silly Map competition!
I was able to request a session in the morning to talk about Esri YPN with a crash course, step by step, and a powerpoint on the benefits of joining. I created my own flyer for GIS Day and reprinted them out.
It was so exhilarating being able to know so much about Esri YPN to answer all the questions my peers had. I cannot wait for more events like this to be hosted by other YPN members in the future. All their ideas, inspirations, and questions will turn into amazing events– just like this one!
Professor Andy Anderson’s presentation on projections of maps was so beautifully done. I cannot wait to purchase my print of Mapa de Abiayala, a community project with artists, geographers, and indigenous peoples around Panama. This map focused on indigenous stories, cultural sites, and community cinema among indigenous peoples in Latin America. The paper will be published in the upcoming weeks, I am excited to read it as soon as it comes out.
The keynote by Brian Baldwin was phenomenal. I learned so much about the different ways to use Esri software to create useful information for a larger community. Everything that I want to do with maps, can probably be answered through ArcGIS Products!
For example, I found out that Esri has a Nonprofit Software Program, which provides low-cost access to the software, training, and content nonprofits need to get their work to the greater community. This information was a pleasant surprise, as I know the importance, impact, and influence maps have on the community.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be a UMass GIST Event without a Silly Map Competition and some Mappy Trivia! Thank you to all who participated, congratulations to the winners of both events. Keep on Mapping!
In Conclusion…
Whether you want to create classroom wide or large, university based events, prioritizing community is a perfect way to network! Socializing with geoscience professionals doesn’t always have to be professional. Some friendly competition during trivia sometimes is the best way to exchange knowledge, contact information, and ideas with one another.
Events like GIS Day and Oh, Mappy Day are crucial for creating social connection with professionals. Casual events allow for nurturing the academic conversation, without the stress of assignments, studying, or even exams.
I believe that having a strong cohort and connections with geospatial professionals is one of the most important things to have as one continues their GIS career. We all need community, let’s make some maps together!
Key Takeaways
Even with my background in community building, I am always learning and finding new ways to build experiences for myself and others.
- Learning is Continuous! GIS is ever-evolving, and staying updated with new tools and methodologies is crucial. Chat with someone who uses GIS in a different way than you do– you may learn a new way to use the software.
- Hybrid Events are Awesome! Hybrid events engage audiences both at a physical venue and online. If you don’t see any at your school, create your own!
- Fun Events Facilitates Deeper Personal Connections! Events like these foster stronger personal connections. It doesn’t always have to be professional!
Advice for Community Building
If you’re hoping to create a vibrant GIS Community within your space (school, work, or anything in between!), here are my recommendations:
- Do what YOU want to attend! Have an idea or event that YOU want to go to? Make it and invite others!
- Be proactive and engaged! Have an idea for a GIS Event? Ask your advisor for help setting it up!
- Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! Ask your friends what events they’d like to see. It’s always fun to collaborate on ideas to make events.
- Get outside your comfort zone! Public speaking and being at the center of events can be extremely stressful. But remember! You ROCK and people will enjoy your events if you are confident about them. The more you speak in public, the better you will get.
- Be silly with it! I always find it easier to do events that are more silly/relaxing. It allows people to interact with GIS in a different light. It doesn’t always have to be professional!
I hope you enjoyed reading about my experience in fostering the geospatial community as a student! Want to chat more? Connect with me on LinkedIn!