Reflecting on a Decade of Life-giving Detours

Growing up I had a lot of interests, but I have always loved math. In fifth grade I once spent an evening figuring out how to determine the measure of a polygon’s angles based on how many sides it has, and brought my math teacher an unsolicited page-long explanation the next day. It was fun for me, and my test scores backed it up.

I’ve also always loved languages and cultures and had a heart for justice. Unfortunately, I had a misconception that math people sat hunched over crusty calculators all day while “people people” made the real difference in the world. Faced with this false choice, I shelved my calculus book after high school. I got a liberal arts degree and spent my first few years out of college teaching English to refugees, helping organize public housing residents, and running a tenants’ hotline in New York City. It stirred my heart, thickened my skin, and blew open my horizons. I loved being able to directly see the difference I was making. 

I never totally lost the itch, though, to be doing more of the thing I knew I was really good at. Have you ever had an itch like that? But I worried that I had missed the boat in college and could never make up for it. When I discovered transportation planning, I was relieved that it felt like the perfect way to blend a concern for social issues with analytical skills. Getting a master’s in the field helped, but I soon realized I still didn’t have the advanced quantitative skills I needed to really apply my natural strengths.

In pursuit of a challenge I taught myself to code in Python and dusted off old statistics notes. I hoped I could figure out how to apply these skills in transportation; I had no desire to join Big Tech. Last year I started seeking out people working at the intersection of data science and transportation. Somewhere in there, it clicked: I could both leverage my knowledge of transportation planning and do it in a more analytical career where I could help people make better use of transit data. And having experience in a specific industry could actually be a boost rather than a detour as I had feared. In a moment of clarity, I was finally able to articulate the niche I wanted at work. Now I just had to find it. 

I feel so fortunate that I didn’t have to look far: Last month I applied for and got an internal job where I am crunching numbers, conducting research and strategizing with others about how to improve data in transit. I have new energy as I continue to learn and build skills that are helping more people get to where they need to go. I have a lot to learn and will likely feel insufficient for a while. But I’m ok with that, because I finally feel on track.

I sort of wish that I had figured this all out sooner, but then I’m not sure I would have traded any of my post-college adventures because they shaped me in unique ways. They were reroutes, not dead ends. I hope that if you are asking yourself what you should be doing, you have grace for yourself and also take the time to really listen if there is a voice in you that won’t go away. 

What’s your story? Maybe you haven’t gotten to the good part yet. I know I’m privileged to have a positive story arc from the past year. Wherever you’re at, I encourage you to share your story as well and to keep us updated. Also, if my story resonates with you at all and you want to chat, please reach out!