William Miles

I had just graduated from SUNY Geneseo and was fortunate enough to learn of this internship via Heidi Holtz of the Gifford Foundation. SCG reflected the varying utility and value of using geography as a problem-identifier/solution-finder. Moreover, I was interested in improving my GIS skills and exploring what the field of geography had to offer. As a Syracuse area native each project was exciting to work with as I got to peer into my community with a bird’s eye view. The most comprehensive and interesting project, however, was the NOON hydro-fracking assignment. This experience opened my eyes to the issues associated with this practice and empowered me, as well as those we were able to inform via community outreach, with the knowledge to react accordingly.

Jonnell and SCG taught me so much about the real-world applications of the geographic tool set. I feel incredibly lucky to have gotten a chance to work with her and the community at-large. A couple years after SCG I enrolled in the Geography and Environmental Planning program Towson University. Along with my studies I have been working with the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance (BNIA). BNIA is essentially to Baltimore what SCG is to Syracuse. There is no doubt that my experience with Jonnell and SCG is what opened the door to graduate school and my internship here in Baltimore.