Congratulations to our July Alumni of the Month, Alexandra Cockerham! Alexandra is a Cartographer at the US Census Bureau. She graduated from UMD in 2011 with a Bachelors of Science in Geographical Sciences and a minor in GIS & Computer Cartography before moving on to obtain a Masters of Science degree, also in Geographical Sciences here at UMD. Read on below for great advice and insight on working at the US Census Bureau!

What drew you GEOG/GIS?
An AP Human Geography class in high school initially drew me to GEOG and, at the recommendation of Dr. Ron Luna, I went with GIS instead of human geography.
 

What internships or independent research did you do as a GEOG/GIS major?
I was an undergraduate intern with Dr. Luigi Boschetti doing research on fire the last semester of my senior year.
 

What do you do at your current job?
As a cartographer I make maps in ArcGIS and Adobe Illustrator based on requests, do research for, gather data for, and implement maps based on requests, edit spatial databases in TOAD for Oracle for use in running automated mapping software, test the automated mapping software, and I'm sure more in the future.
 

What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success while they are still undergraduates?
Make connections with you professors early on. They will be able to help guide you in your academic and career futures. You will also need contacts for letters of recommendation for graduate school and jobs in the future. And whenever you are thinking of joining the workforce if you want to get into the federal government apply at least 6 months, maybe even a year, before expected graduation.

What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success after graduation?
Stay current on software and programs that are being used in your trade. Even if you don't have access to licenses for them anymore be aware of them if you want to continue on the geography field.

What do you miss the most about UMD?
In general I miss the flexibility of an undergraduate and graduate schedule. Specific to UMD I miss being with my awesome friends who are still there all the time, especially undergraduate advisor Amanda Hall. (Okay okay, maaaaybe I added that last bit.)
 

What are some of your hobbies/interests?
Running, reading, listening to audiobooks, watching TV
 

Anything else you’d like to add?
It's cliche, but for the people still in school out there, everything happens for a reason! I had a terrible time job hunting, and in the end, I ended up where I was supposed to be, with a job I love, great co-workers, and awesome scheduling and telework options. So keep your chin up!

Thanks for the positive advice Alexandra! We miss you at UMD and can't wait to see what your future at the Census (and beyond) has in store for you! Congratulations!