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Alumni Career Spotlight: Destiny Allen

Destiny Allen
Environment, Economy, Development, & Sustainability ‘15
Master of Science Student in Global Technology and Development at Arizona State

Destiny earned a degree in Environment, Economy, Development & Sustainability from SENR in 2015. During her time in SENR, she was involved in several student organizations and Destiny Allen, Class of 2015worked as an intern for the Sierra Club. After graduation she served as a volunteer in the Peace Corps for several years and is now pursuing a master’s degree in Global Technology and Development at Arizona State University.

Read the full interview with Destiny:

A Glance at Destiny’s Current Work

I was a Peace Corps Volunteer beginning in August 2016, and I was evacuated from my post in March 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic. I am currently unemployed, but I have just started my Master of Science degree at Arizona State. I’m studying Global Technology and Development and seeking to understand what role technology plays in development, as well as what role it has played in the past.

What did you do post-graduation?

I worked full-time for Sierra Club until I left for the Peace Corps. I joined the Peace Corps because I wanted real experience in working in international development. I needed to know if this avenue was right for me before I went to grad school for it and before I put time and energy into looking for a career in that field.

Professional Development

During my time as an undergraduate, I was involved in a few student organizations relevant to my interests. These were the Sierra Club, Environmental Engineers, and Peace Corps Club.I also interned for the Ohio Chapter of the Sierra Club in downtown Columbus, where I worked on clean water initiatives. This involved tabling local events, discussing clean water at the Zoo and COSi, and working with local outdoors camps to include environmental protection in their programs.

Which experience do you feel was most valuable in your professional development?

My internship really prepared me for the professional side of community development. It’s one thing to sit in class and learn about clean water and how it affects health and development, but it’s another thing to be able to go out and learn how to talk about these issues with the public. I learned how to present myself and the material I was working on in a professional manner.

Get real experience in avenues that you may want to pursue as a career later on. It’s better to find out now that you don’t actually want to get into urban planning than if you were to figure it out while in grad school or while taking on a job as an urban planner. It saves you time and energy down the road.

Advanced Degrees

If you don’t have an advanced degree, do you feel that has been limiting for you?

Even though I am currently working on an advanced degree, I am finding it limiting that I don’t already have one while I look for jobs. I want a job while I am studying that will further my experience and give me a leg up when I eventually start my career. However, all of the jobs I have been looking into require a master’s degree, even basic entry-level work for federal jobs. I don’t mind the hustle of working part-time jobs like Doordash and Uber Eats, but I would prefer spending time advancing my résumé for my career.

Advice for Current Students:

Get real experience in avenues that you may want to pursue as a career later on. It’s better to find out now that you don’t actually want to get into urban planning than if you were to figure it out while in grad school or while taking on a job as an urban planner. It saves you time and energy down the road.