Alumni Stories
The School of City and Regional Planning (SCaRP) at Georgia Tech is proud to present SCaRP Stories, a collection of personal narratives from our alumni reflecting on their life and career after SCaRP. These stories showcase the diverse and impactful ways that our alumni have applied the knowledge, skills, and values they learned at SCaRP to shape the future of cities and create positive changes in their communities. They also highlight some of the memorable experiences, valuable lessons, and influential people and concepts that our alumni encountered during their time at SCaRP.
Chris said:
“I was fortunate to have the ability to work with multiple advisors to focus on additional areas of interest that gave me a well rounded foundation for my post-graduate career. My class (2000) was an exceptional team to be a part of. I am so proud of where my classmates have ended up. Additionally, the Graduate Research Assistantship program was an absolute game changer for me. To be able to get real world experience and pay my tuition at the same time was a fantastic opportunity.”
Woody said:
“I would not be where I am today without my Master's degree from Georgia Tech. The most important aspect of the program was networking and getting to meet planning professionals from different sectors of the Atlanta planning world. Without those connections, I would not have been able to find the job that I enjoyed so much and that allows me to make a big impact!”
Tricia said:
“This degree led me to three different places - each time climbing up a rung on the planning career ladder. After 15 years as a professional planner, I moved to the UK. Planning laws, rules, regulations and practices are very different here and even though I tried to gain employment as an entry-level planner, I was unsuccessful. However, I am without doubt that because I had a progressive and productive career in planning, I was able to secure a position with the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. My Georgia Tech degree is my most prized accomplishment in my life.”
Steve said:
“The program changed the trajectory of my career. I did a 180 from my previous work as an environmental engineer to become a transportation planner and engineer. One of the best decisions of my life!”
David said:
“Although I only worked for six years as a planner, three as a Planner I and Planner II for Orange County, Florida, home of Disney World, and three as the City Planner for the City of Winter Park, Florida, my planning education served me well for the ensuing 37 years of my career as a city manager. Particularly in Florida, land use and transportation are a major concern of municipal and county government."
Carson said:
“I really enjoyed that the students in SCaRP come from a wide range of backgrounds, which isn't always typical in a graduate degree program. I learned so much from my fellow classmates and really enjoyed working together on projects or studying together on tests because everyone brought something different to the table. Working with lots of different people was also a great skill to practice in school because planners have to do that all the time in the field. I think working with all the different perspectives within SCaRP really prepared me for working in a people-centered profession.”
Alton said:
“I am confident that I would not be where I am today without my degree from Tech. This degree landed me the job I wanted coming straight out of school. Not only was I well prepared for the job, but I had knowledge about technologies that my new employer had only begun to explore. I was an instant “plug and play” team member and I was able to start contributing on day one. This has given me a great edge in the workforce and has contributed to my ongoing success.”