Katherine A. Magiera '05

Brimmer and May, 2005

Barnard College, Columbia University, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), May 2009

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Master of City and Regional Planning (M.C.R.P.) 2015

 

“I immensely credit Brimmer and May for nurturing my academic curiosity and encouraging me to get excited about learning and pursuing my interests.”

 

Katie is working as a Transportation Analyst at Cambridge Systematics in NYC, which is a consultancy that provides planning, policy, technology, and analytics services to U.S. and international transportation agencies.

 

I just started in May 2015 after completing a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning at Rutgers University. Prior to that, I worked in financial services at two major investment banks - Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs - focusing on risk management in the commodities products division. I am very happy to now be pursuing my passion of improving mobility, livability, and economic growth in U.S. cities. 

 

 

Brimmer and May’s academic curriculum and college counseling services are excellent, and I felt well-prepared for college. Brimmer encourages well-roundedness in its students, and provides opportunities for students to get involved in theatre, sports, and other student associations. My schedule was packed, but I quickly learned how to be productive despite being busy. These are crucial skills that I continue to use in my adult life. 

 

I started at Brimmer and May in 8th grade, which is an awkward year to start over, especially coming from a small town. However, the small class sizes and warm environment made me feel comfortable from the very beginning, and I made friends immediately. I ended up excelling academically and made high honors throughout high school, which no doubt helped me get into Barnard College at Columbia University in NYC. I immensely credit Brimmer and May for nurturing my academic curiosity and encouraging me to get excited about learning and pursuing my interests.

 

I also made wonderful, life-long friends from Brimmer, for which I am incredibly grateful. 

 

 

I have wonderful memories of Ted Barker-Hook, who gave me incredibly constructive feedback on my writing and critical thinking skills. He was an excellent advisor with high expectations, and I tried very hard to meet them! Judy Guild and Liz Perry taught two of my favorite English classes; to this day I still recommend Power of One as a must-read novel. Nancy Bradley was also an excellent teacher who helped me establish a foundation for math and analytics. 

 

 

I attended Brimmer and May from 8th grade through graduation of Upper School. I initially did not want to leave public school, and owe my parents a huge thank you for pushing me to do so.