My experience during the Master’s program “Spatial Information Management” at CUAS

Time flies by. In summer 2019, I graduated from CUAS in the Master’s Program “Spatial Information Management”. Now, I look back at my study time at CUAS, which brings me where I am right now: in Curaçao!

After graduating, I joined Kapsch TrafficCom AG in Vienna as a Graduate Trainee. The two-year program let me rotate through four departments: EMENA Region Management, where I applied GIS for market intelligence; Product & Solution Management, where I developed SaaS business cases; Project Management, which took me to the Bay Area in California; and finally Data Analytics, where I worked on data storytelling and go-to-market strategy. In 2022 I took an entrepreneurial leap and founded YOUfirst events, a full-service event management company based in Vienna, running corporate and private events. Alongside that, I moved into Sales Development & Account Management at SchoolTalent, where I specialized in subscription management, CRM, and customer relations. Then came the biggest adventure yet. Since July 2024 I have been living and working in Willemstad, Curaçao, as a GIS Consultant & Trainer at GIS4C (Geographic Information Systems 4 the Caribbean). I advise on ArcGIS solutions, support customers in their projects using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, and help configure apps to optimize workflows. In early 2025 I also had the honour of becoming a Guest Lecturer for GIS at the University of Curaçao, sharing real-world knowledge with the next generation of geospatial professionals.

Back to the beginning of my studies. I was worried that the program would be too technical and too much focused on programming and in the beginning I was struggling a lot. But thanks to the motivation and support of my professors and colleagues, I learned that with a positive mindset and by seeing challenges as opportunities, everything is possible. Just never give up on your dreams! In the end it is all about learning and understanding the fundamentals of specific topics, but eventually you can focus on your personal interests and strengths! That is how it works in companies as well, every individual within a team has his own expertise and talents and together you can develop a successful project. You cannot be an expert in every field, but it is beneficial to have a holistic view to understand problems and find solutions. I started to focus on spatial analysis and eventually found my passion for crime analysis. I worked sometimes day and night on my research project, because it became my hobby.

Thanks to the Marshall Plan Foundation and connections to Louisiana State University, I got the chance to implement the field work and analysis of my research in Baton Rouge. The Louisianan diverse culture is fascinating, including Creole, Cajun, Spanish, French, African-American influences, the place where Jazz was born, the Cajun cuisine with their famous crawfish boils, and traditions like Mardi Gras. My experience in Louisiana gave me confidence and made me think in new ways. I think the unique chance of living and studying in the USA made me stand out when I applied for the graduate trainee program at Kapsch. I got to know new cultures, people, different ways of living and working. It is one step closer to becoming a citizen of the world and to broadening your perspectives, and I can only recommend everyone to apply for a Marshall Plan scholarship to get this amazing opportunity!

As I look back from my current position in Curaçao, I can say that I really benefit from the management skills I gained at CUAS, such as applying different project management tools and developing business models. I also got the opportunity to attend various international conferences and to publish my work in a scientific book and a journal. In this way I could build an international network of professionals.

Finally, I would like to thank my professors who always supported me, also in difficult times. The Master’s program gave me the chance to develop myself in the best possible way and I hope we will stay in touch.