I’ve been on the job market for a while, looking for that Goldilocks position that reflects my interests in the Boston area while continuing my recovery from a health issue. Boston isn’t really the right place for this — DC, St. Louis are the places to be — but there are enough opportunities nearby to give me hope.

With the way the world is going, I’ve been worried about getting able to find work as a trans person, treated with dignity or be paid equally. After everything I’ve been through, dignity is very important to me. Two things really took me aback in the last few days. First, the official *State Department* account openly being transphobic and trolling for the lols — a department I have revered and that many friends and colleagues have worked for. Second, Nancy Mace’s introduction of a bill to ban trans people from many federal positions and certifications. It is simply unconscionable.

Though I’ve always been starting and leading my own projects, the past few weeks have pushed me towards the idea of dignity, freedom, and safety in starting my own business — and so I have! I’ve just started piloting the idea to see if it will work.

In short, Fells and Mystic Education will offer innovative geospatial / GIS / open-source investigation courses to predominantly high schoolers, targeting wealthier families looking to set their children apart at a time of exceptionally intense college admissions competition. I am already working on developing a GIS component, and I hope to add a college consulting offering in the future. I think the idea is sound — now I just need to test it!

I’ve built a website using Google and I’ve started sharing it on social media, but I know there is so much more to do! I will write about it in greater detail at some point, but you can read more about it here:

Homepage: fellsandmystic.com

Inaugural Course: https://www.fellsandmystic.com/how-to-save-the-world-with-maps

First Blog: https://www.fellsandmystic.com/the-fells-and-mystic-journal

About Me: https://www.fellsandmystic.com/about

Geospatial Consulting: https://www.fellsandmystic.com/geospatial-consulting

This is just the beginning, and I put my all into making sure it is a success. Thank you for your support — I will write more as things develop!