Her Story
About Mirra
I just graduated from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania with my bachelor's degree as an economics and geography double major. I'm originally from Columbia, Missouri, and I'm now working as a GIS intern for the City of Columbia, my hometown. I learned about GIS through a friend who was a GIS major at another university. I took a geography course my freshman year, second semester, and really enjoyed it. A lot of my coursework was based on class discussions, and I enjoyed GIS because I was able to take what I had learned in my class discussions and work with data to make it more digestible to a wider audience. My sophomore year, I set up an independent study with a professor to learn GIS, which led me to get the internship I currently have. In my role, I work with spatial data and create projects to display that data for different applications within the city. Last summer, I worked on an interactive map application called Historical Properties Viewer that took all of the historical properties in the city of Columbia and created an interactive map that users could explore and take a tour with, complete with all the information listed. I worked with the Historical Property Society in Columbia on this project and got to learn a lot about the historical properties in Columbia that way. While at Bucknell, I was on the executive board of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, where I served as the Director of Communications.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Mirra
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would say that I care a lot about the work that I do, and I care about the people that I work with. I really try my best to create the best spaces that I can, which I think helps with the workflows and with making it a better space for everyone in the office. I think that caring about your work and the people around you makes a real difference in creating a positive and productive environment.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
This might sound cheesy, but just go for what you're passionate about. I think that your work ethic and your drive for your career path will come when you're passionate about what you're doing. I think that's probably the biggest piece of advice that I've received, and it really resonates with me because passion fuels the motivation you need to succeed.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say, don't be discouraged. In a field like GIS, it's working with a lot of very complex mapping software, and it can feel really intimidating at first. So I would say don't feel discouraged, and you'll learn a lot, and it's gonna be really fun. The learning curve can be steep, but stick with it because the work is rewarding.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
With GIS, there's a heavy IT side that involves maintaining databases, and a lot of that involves coding. I don't have a coding background, so that was definitely, and currently is, a steeper learning curve for me. It's one of the bigger challenges in the field. But I'm really lucky that I get to work with the people that I do at the city. They're all very encouraging and very helpful with that process, which makes navigating those challenges much easier.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
I would say integrity and empathy. I think that working with a lot of different types of people can really enhance any type of work that you're doing, especially when you get different perspectives. And trying to complete any piece of work with the utmost integrity, just so it's the best piece of work that you could possibly produce. Those two values guide how I approach both my professional and personal relationships.
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