Mapping Her Future: Ariel Ooms on her Esri internship experience
October 15, 2026
This past summer, Geography senior Ariel Ooms took her spatial science skills to the nation's capital as an ArcGIS Product Engineer Intern for Esri in Washington, D.C. From exploring the National Mall on her second day to presenting her software work to office leadership, Ariel gained invaluable industry experience at the forefront of GIS technology. We caught up with Ariel to discuss her time in D.C., how hands-on research and mentorship at MSU prepared her for the role, and her advice for fellow Spartans aiming to land competitive internships.
How did your studies and experiences at MSU help prepare you for this internship at Esri?
Before even applying for the internship at Esri, my studies and research in the Department of Geography at MSU played a huge role in me landing the position. When I interviewed, I was able to speak to the fact that I have already had hands-on research, data analysis, and coding experience through my research with Dr. Bunting and a variety of classes. Thanks to the GIS courses at MSU, I was already quite knowledgeable when it came to Esri software, so working with their products from a development standpoint wasn’t as steep of a learning curve.
What was the highlight of your summer in the nation's capital?
There were two highlights of my summer in the capital. The first was my second day in Washington D.C. where I got to explore the National Mall for a few hours and get to know the city. The second was my end of summer presentation where I was able to show off what I had worked on all summer to my entire team and the head of the Washington D.C. office.
What is one major skill, lesson, or insight you gained from working with Esri’s team that you think will shape the rest of your academic career and post-graduation goals?
One insight I gained was just how vast the applications of GIS are, even within one company. I am interested in a lot of different things and so seeing how widespread GIS was and how it’s possible to pursue many different things with the same skillset was very interesting. It has helped me to keep my future more open to different opportunities than just limiting myself to one field or area.
What was it like working alongside professionals in the field, and did you receive any great career advice or mentorship during your time there?
The best career advice I received over the summer was to meet everyone you possibly can. You never know who you’ll end up connecting with. I heard this advice from pretty much every person I encountered at Esri. Getting to know people, what they are interested in, and what you have in common is always a good thing. An unlikely connection could be just the thing that gets you somewhere you want to go.
How has this internship experience shaped or shifted your future career goals after graduation?
My time at Esri reinforced that I am in the field I want to be in, which is GIS. I also learned that I really like solving spatial problems and while I am happy to contribute to the development of GIS software, I always want to be solving some sort of problem. Beyond graduation, this internship has encouraged me to begin my time in the workforce earlier than I originally planned. At some point, I may return to school to pursue graduate studies, but for now, I plan to enter the workforce either as an analyst or a developer.
How have faculty members or advisors in the Geography Department guided you along your path toward top-tier opportunities like this internship?
A lot of the opportunities I have had access to, including my internship with Esri, I have Dr. Erin Bunting to thank. She took me under her wing early on in my undergraduate career by encouraging me to pursue an advanced remote sensing course and later remote sensing research. I have been able to complete full research projects and apply what I have learned in classes directly to my research.
The department gave me many opportunities to build my technical skills, but they also provided plenty of ways to improve my leadership skills. I was the president of Supporting Women in Geography and the Geography Club for the 2025-26 academic year and in that time, I not only learned how to be a strong and effective leader, but I built a lot of community with fellow students, professors, and advisors.
For anyone looking for an internship in GIS, I highly recommend completing projects that interest you and building a portfolio. I started compiling all my projects I completed for classes onto a personal website that I share whenever I apply for jobs and internships.
Being able to speak to whatever makes you passionate about GIS and solving spatial problems is also really important. Knowing why you care about using GIS and what kinds of issues you care about will shine through when interviewers ask why you chose this discipline.
Lastly, I always recommend putting yourself out there and getting involved. Connect with anyone you can, build relationships, and go for leadership positions. Having technical abilities is important but being well-rounded and building a strong network I would consider to be almost, if not more important.
Now that you’ve returned to MSU with an Esri internship under your belt, what are you most looking forward to in your remaining time on campus, and what’s next on the horizon for you?
I am really looking forward to finishing off my time at MSU strong. My goal is to experience as much as I can before graduating and continue to stay involved in clubs like SWIG and the Geography Club. I’m looking forward to attending my last football games, seeing a show at the Wharton, and eating lots of Dairy Store ice cream before I graduate. I am also hoping to finish up my current research projects and eventually publish some of those results. Beyond graduation, I am hoping to get a job where I get to do spatial analysis in some way and answer problems I am interested in solving.
Congratulations on a successful and rewarding internship, Ariel! Best wishes on your final semester and upcoming graduation!