Penn State geography alumna Jazmyn Clark finds career momentum in GIS

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jazmyn Clark did not come to Penn State planning to study geography, and she did not picture herself building a career in GIS. She arrived with a different major in mind and a clear idea of what her future was supposed to look like. Geography changed that plan, she said, and a few decisions that felt small at the time ended up shaping everything that came next.

Clark, who graduated in 2022 with a degree in geography and geographic information science, is now a GIS data analyst at the Sanborn Mapping Company. Her work focuses on building and maintaining datasets that support transportation agencies and local governments. Much of her work is behind the scenes, but it shows up in tools people use every day.

Part of her week is spent supporting MapGeo, Sanborn’s web platform used by municipalities to share parcel data, zoning and other information. It is detailed work, and it often comes down to fixing what is not working and making sure the data is current, she said.

“I do a lot of direct client communication,” Clark said. “When clients reach out with a question or an issue, I’m the person helping them work through it. I feel like I help people a lot and, I take pride in helping somebody solve a problem.”

Alongside that municipal work, Clark supports transportation projects for state agencies. She is one of two lead analysts on a multiyear project in Arkansas focused on right-of-way road data, and she has started training new hires as her team grows.

“Being selected as one of two lead analysts on this project was a big confidence boost,” Clark said. “We’re hiring new analysts and training people, and it’s very rewarding. I started only a few years ago, and now I’m the person showing new hires how we do the work.”

Clark’s path into geography started with a pivot. She arrived at Penn State to study architecture, a major and career path she had been focused on since her teen years. However, she said, a first-year elective prompted her to take a closer look at geography. She took a human geography course and was drawn to how the discipline connects big questions to everyday life.

Not long after, she met with academic adviser Jodi Vender to talk through the geography major and what switching would look like. Clark said she leaned on Vender often as she adjusted to the change and, later, as she took on more technical coursework.

“Jodi has been the ultimate resource,” Clark said. “When I was an undergraduate, I met with her all the time, especially after switching majors and loading up on coding classes to catch up. She was, and continues to be, the biggest support system I’ve had in this part of my life.”

Clark’s next pivot came in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled her study abroad plans. With her plans upended, Clark said she leaned into GIS, using the extra time to build the technical skills she had been hesitant to take on.

The next year brought an opportunity that fit the skills she had been developing. Vender sent students an internship opening with Applied Geographics Inc. Clark went after it, landed a spot and started in May 2021. She stayed with the team through graduation, then moved into a full-time role after earning her degree. When the company was acquired, she continued her work under Sanborn.

“Jodi emailed an opportunity, and I took a chance on it,” Clark said. “That one opportunity really shaped my entire career path so far.”

Clark said that early break was only the start, and the department’s network has stayed with her as her career has moved forward. She said she still sees Penn State Geography woven through her work life; from alumni she meets in meetings to familiar names on project teams.

“Penn State Geography has shaped my entire professional life so far,” Clark said. “Even now, I’m coming back for advice, connecting with alumni and learning about all the different things people are doing.”

One of those connections became a collaboration. Clark worked last summer on a project with Alainna Nevling, a Penn State graduate who works for Sanborn in the Charlotte office. Another surfaced during a meeting tied to MassGIS, when someone recognized her Penn State background.

That kind of continuity, Clark said, is part of what brought her back to campus this year. Clark returned to reconnect with Vender, tour Walker Building and talk through what might come next, including graduate school. She also spent time with students and left thinking about how helpful it can be to hear from someone only a few years into the job, someone who remembers what it feels like to be choosing classes and trying to picture where they lead.

“I want to be a resource,” Clark said. “I’m still relatively new in my career, but if I can help an undergraduate in any way, I’m always open to doing that.”

Clark’s advice to students comes back to the moment her own path shifted: Take the class, try the unfamiliar track and give yourself room to change course.

“It’s good to try something new,” Clark said. “I took a random elective and ended up loving it. GIS was something I wasn’t planning on at all, but I built a career out of. Take the leap. You never know what’s going to reshape your life.”