College of Architecture and Urban Studies | School of Public and International Affairs

Carrie Hileman is August ’s Featured Student.

Carrie Hileman is the Urban Affairs and Planning featured student of the month. She was born and raised on a family farm in Lexington, Virginia. During high school she participated in several environmental programs and became very interested in the effects of development on the natural environment. Today Carrie is a recent recipient of her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and Planning.

She says of the reason she chose to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Planning and Policy, “I had a vested interest in agricultural issues and the rapid decline of farmable land not only in my state but across the country. My rural, scenic, historic hometown became and still is subject to vast development pressure and I believed that I could choose a course of study that would enable me to at least have a seat at the table in planning, agricultural and government-related decisions that affect our land use and our way of life.”

Carrie had many great experiences while in the program. She began work at the Natural Bridge Soil and Water Conservation District as a conservation intern, assisting in the execution of multiple cost-share incentive programs for agricultural operations. Additionally she worked for the Virginia Water Resources Research Center and at the New River Valley Planning District Commission. Working as a Capital Semester Intern for the Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee was another opportunity she had which led, today, to her serving as a distinguished Governor’s Fellow for the Secretary of Natural Resources.

Of her time at Virginia Tech, Carrie said, “I have enjoyed the flexibility granted by the degree, the remarkable faculty, and the broad scope that the major has offered. I took classes in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts and the College of Natural Resources, to name a few, and I was aware of few other majors that allowed or promoted such varied interests.”

Professor Diane Zahm says, “Carrie was what I would consider a model student. Her academic career wasn't just about taking the right classes and collecting credentials. I think she had more internships than any other student we've had in this program, including a semester with the Virginia General Assembly, and a semester with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Carrie knew all along she wanted to be involved in policy-making, and she made that happen for herself.”

Carrie hopes to enhance the strong background she has earned with her degree and take a government relations position that will allow her to advocate for the environmental planning needs of state, regional, and local governments.

Most importantly, in her free time, some of Carrie’s favorite things include: spending time on her family farm, enjoying the water and the woods, and taking in live music whenever possible. She says, “I’m on a constant quest to visit new places and I love to read as well.”

Would you like communicate with Carrie regarding her work and activities with the Urban Affairs and Planning Program? Send her an e-mail: carrie.hileman@gmail.com

This student profile was written by MURP student Sarah Sturtevant.