TJ Boyce

Why pursue a Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Tech?
Current Blacksburg campus student TJ Boyce shares his experience:

What attracted you to the Master of Urban and Regional Planning program at Virginia Tech originally?
A little over a decade ago, I realized that I really wanted to go to Virginia Tech to study. I visited in 2016 and instantly fell in love with the way of life on campus and the idea of studying urban planning, and maybe even architecture. I didn’t end up getting in on my first try, but I retried a little over 4 years after that and here I am.
 
What are 1 or 2 things you have come to appreciate about the program since you began?
One thing I appreciate is the amount of opportunities there are. The number of emails we get for opportunities in our field is very useful throughout the program. Another thing is the people I've met. This goes from the teachers, to the professionals they have brought in, to the friends I have made in all my classes.
 
What would you like to do after you graduate?
I want to do work that is transportation based. I love seeing the patterns of how people, cars, and bikes interact with each other throughout times of the day, month, and year(s).  
 
In what ways do you feel connected to your classmates and the program? 
I love my classmates! They are some of the hardest working friends that I know, each having unique experiences and sharing what they have witnessed in life that I wouldn’t know too much about otherwise.
 
Are you currently working in the planning field in any capacity?
I am currently on an assistantship. I am working as a Teaching Assistant this semester for professor Aristotle Teresa’s undergraduate class for Law and Land Use Planning. I was a TA for a law class last semester as well. I am paired with another MURP student here in Blacksburg, Sara. We grade and work with students on anything they may need help with if any problems arise.
 
Overall, how do you feel about your decision to study at VT for a MURP?
I really enjoy it so far. The opportunities seem to happen quite often, the staff is very helpful in pointing me in the right direction, and the group of friends and change of lifestyle pace from previous places I have lived offer another unique look at what is urban planning. I do believe VT will put my foot in the door of cementing a planning
career after I graduate.