Navigating the path to a dream job
Will Talbot’s passion for maps led to his job as an assistant planner at the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission (CMRPC), with Clark playing an instrumental role.
After completing a bachelor’s degree in geography from Clark, Talbot returned to earn his fifth-year master’s in Community Development and Planning. His advanced degree studies included an internship at CMRPC, which became a permanent job after graduation.
“My internship was excellent,” Talbot says. “A major aspect of my role was to incorporate GIS maps into various planning projects. I was thrilled to be able to continue with CMRPC after earning my degree.” Talbot says good community development involves more than writing reports, collecting data, and preparing grant proposals.
“My classes at Clark taught me how to think about morality and ethics within my field,” he says. “My GIS classes discussed ethical questions that relate to the use of geographic information science.
“At Clark, I learned the importance of asking yourself ‘What’s the right approach to serve people in need and bring about positive change?’”
For Talbot, such consideration is at the core of what makes Clark unique. “People at Clark talk about not just the best idea but also the best practice. They are careful not to dive into something without thinking about the repercussions that affect different community stakeholders. You must be deliberate and careful, especially with big infrastructure projects. You have to ensure that policy changes will have positive impacts and help make a more just society.”
Clark’s faculty-practitioners appealed to Talbot. “I liked learning from professors who have experience working outside of academia,” he says. “My community development finance professor worked for an agency that helps finance affordable housing in Massachusetts.”
Talbot also appreciated the range of ideas that reached him through guest speakers on campus. “The New Earth Conversation program, the Geography Colloquium Speaker Series, and the Extractives@Clark series bring excellent guest speakers to Clark – academics and professionals who talk about their research and work experiences. I found it incredibly enriching to learn about many different topics relating to my academic and professional interests outside of my class time.”
