How did you get interested in planning
After working in politics for several years, I realized I wanted to take a more proactive, hands-on approach to change, and I believe that planning offers that. In planning, there are more opportunities to take initiative and implement your ideas in collaboration with the public's vision and goals.

What kind of work experience do you have
I worked for the Democratic Party on a variety of campaigns during and after college.

Why did you choose Penn to study city planning
Penn's program offers several opportunities to get out of the classroom and really explore the city planning profession first hand, not just from a textbook or a theoretical perspective. It was also important to me to be located in an urban setting, and Philadelphia is a great backdrop to study city planning.

What has been your favorite class so far
My favorite class this semester was Structures of Cities and Regions. Having nearly no city planning education before coming to Penn, this class introduced me to a wide variety of viewpoints and perspectives throughout city planning history, and helped me to begin to form my own planning opinions and values.

What are your career ambitions
My career ambitions are constantly evolving. Ideally, I would like to work for a firm that focuses on urban development, economic, or land use planning.