My name is Josue and I am originally from Long Island, New York and I currently live in Queens. Currently I am a second year graduate student at The City College of New York where I am studying Sustainability in the Urban Environment. I first moved into New York City when I started my undergraduate career at St. John’s University -also located in Queens- and since then I have had a continuously growing fascination with urban environments. With such diversity between arts, culture and businesses, urban environments are places that allow people to step out of their comforts zones and experience different parts of the world within one condensed environment. I find New York City to be the best location where one can learn about what exists beyond the regions of the United States.
Since living in New York City, my interest in urban environments specifically has geared towards learning the concepts and operations behind transportation. Over the past year I have also been an Intern for the MTA’s New York City Transit where I have developed a different more appreciative perspective of our city’s transit system. In a city with a population of over 8 million, it is important to learn the best practices that will continue to serve society by moving people and goods, while meeting the demands of a growing population and adjusting to advances in technology. Geography is a critical component of transportation, and I find that having an understanding of it provides a firm foundation that can effectively influence decision making on local, state and federal levels.
I look forward to learning from the American Geographical Society while interacting with the community to raise awareness on geography and its importance.