My Story and Journey
Here is a short summary of my adult journey to where I am today. In it you’ll find my experiences and skills I’ve picked up along the way. I hope you enjoy!
I began as a humble Aerospace Engineer at Georgia Tech. I know it sounds impressive, but I picked the major because it was alphabetically the first on the list. That should tell you how little direction I had as a new grad from high school. I was in over my head and probably would have dropped out but a friend of mine helped me get a co-op position at Georgia Tech Research Institute.
GTRI
GTRI was a great boon to my early adulthood. I learned how to work in a corporate environment and it was my first real job. I was also introduced to the programming languages Python and C. I picked up coding fairly quickly and was moved from program testing to software development on a test automation framework. GTRI taught me soft skills like professionalism and workflow management along with hard skills like coding and product demonstration/presentation.
Stone Summit
I couldn’t co-op forever and once I stopped, I came to terms with my disinterest in school at the time and dropped out of Georgia Tech. After Tech, I began working at the largest climbing gym in Atlanta, Stone Summit Atlanta (Now CRG). There I furthered my personal passion for rock climbing, became a manager of the gym, and met my future wife.
One Ring Networks
As a manager at SSA, I was often tasked with inspecting and replacing worn equipment on the wall. This was my favorite task and I soon learned of the Rope Access Industry: the big leagues of working at height on ropes. In 2021, I attended a training course hosted by Applied Technical Services, got my SPRAT Level 1 certification, and became a certified Rope Access Technician.
I had the dream of working on wind turbines but there weren’t too many of those in Georgia. So I used my new certification to get a job climbing the next best thing, Cell Towers. I began working for a company providing internet services for small businesses. This involved work on both cell towers and rooftops. While at One Ring I learned a lot about radios, their installation, and even dabbled in some network engineering. Within a year I was promoted to Project Coordinator for the Atlanta office and was responsible for coordinating surveys, installations, and decommissions with customers.
Ericsson
While One Ring was a great starting point for my career, I wanted to gain experience with a larger company. I joined Ericsson in October of 2022 and began a month-long process of safety and climbing training. Once completed, I worked on towers all over Georgia and the Southeast. While at Ericsson, I earned my OSHA 30 and NWSA TTT-1 certifications. This job sparked a real fascination for infrastructure. When interest rates went up in 2023, the entire Field Services division was laid off, and I decided it was time to go back to school.
Returning to School
Following on from my newfound interest in infrastructure, I applied to GSU as a Geoscience major with a concentration in Urban Planning. This major has taught me not just about the physical environment of sites but also how to examine their social, economic, and historical context. As someone who is deeply interested in infrastructure, I’ve come to understand that knowing the consequences of building something is just as important as knowing where and how to build it.
Learning GIS
Perhaps the best skill I’ve developed while in school is how to use GIS. My first course was Quantitative Spatial Analysis and while it probably wasn’t the most traditional first GIS course, it did open my eyes to what the software was capable of and the potential of its applications. My first maps felt more like doodles but after four semesters of GIS related courses, I’m extremely proud of how far I’ve come. GIS is the hard skill that has really helped solidify my interest in infrastructure and urban development as a field of study that I feel confident working with.
My final map at GSU for my Digital Cartography course
Marriage and the Future
In August of 2025 my beautiful wife and I got married at a courthouse and had a small honeymoon in Charleston, South Carolina. I couldn’t have made it on my personal journey without her. Her endless support of my interests, hobbies, and dreams gave me the confidence to come back to school and make something of myself. I can’t wait to take my new skills into the GIS industry and work for something more than just a paycheck. Thank you for reading.
Work Site Eats 