It is not often that you encounter an adolescent boy who would run to maps and geography books instead of the most recent edition of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Growing up, I would often find myself hyper-focused on maps, the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. I was habitually the kid who wanted to be spatially aware of my surroundings.
My interest in human security and geospatial intelligence (HSGI) intensified during three devastating events: the 2011 record-breaking tornado season, Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy (a surreal experience), and Moore, OK EF-5 tornado. By the summer of 2013, I began crafting my life mission in disaster awareness, preparation, management and mitigation.
When I joined the USC HSGI undergraduate program at its inception in January 2020, little did I know how much of an impact the program would make on me. The HSGI curriculum developed and enriched my capabilities within spatial sciences and public policy, while also sparking a passion for international relations.
In my junior year, I participated in the U.S. Department of State INR MapGive internship program under the Virtual Student Federal Services (VSFS) where I showcased all the SSI skills I had developed. We engaged on open-street map platforms to perform edits and additions to remote regions around the world.
In the B.S. HSGI program, my practicum partner, Steven Duncan, and I focused on using GEOINT to assess infrastructure insecurities in Elliott City, Maryland. We used this suburban town as a case study to comprehend why historic towns like this posed a substantial flash flood risk.
As a HSGI major, I was part of the USC Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence and was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success.
The completion of my undergraduate HSGI degree marked the beginning of my life’s mission toward minimizing the overall impact of natural and manmade hazards when they strike.
After graduating from USC, I attended UCLA’s masters program in applied geospatial information systems and technologies. Along the way, I had a global operations internship with Pacific Disaster Center Global (PDC) in Maui, Hawaii, developing my skills in ArcGIS Pro, StoryMaps and dashboards. In addition, I honed my data processing abilities using FME (Feature Manipulation Engine) and reviewed over 90 PDC-issued products for relevancy, effectiveness, aesthetics, efficiency and branding.
I also have had an incredible opportunity a six-month internship with the Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team at United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
While at USC and UCLA, I have competed at the Division I level in track and field, achieving multiple All-American honors and conference championships. I served on the PAC-12 Student Athlete Leadership Team and was elected Co-President of the USC United Black Student Athlete Association.
I’m delighted to be returning to USC for an M.S. in Human Security and Geospatial Intelligence. I am passionate about GEOINT, national security, data science, disaster management and risk reduction.
