Civil Servant
(Photo: Karsten Moran)
“If someone told me back in 2017 or 2018 that I was going be to doing architecture, engineering and urban planning, or working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), I would have laughed because that wasn’t even a concept to me! Being able to apply your skills to something completely different is a huge asset,” says Christopher Taormina, BA’21 (Flor).
“Just know that no matter what your undergraduate degree is in, if you want to do something else, you can!”
Taormina majored in creative writing, aiming for a career in publishing, editing or copywriting. When he graduated in 2021, though, those industries were scaling back in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I had some previous experience doing loss-control insurance inspections on properties, so I did that in my hometown, Lincoln Park, N.J. I was originally hired as a zoning officer. I sought out various certificates and licenses, eventually rising to director of engineering and development,” he says.
In his current role, Taormina reviews applications for the borough, to make sure they conform to local ordinances. He attends planning board and zoning board meetings, and does a lot with affordable housing developments. He also provides support to residents in the event of flooding, making sure they can get permits and much-needed access to FEMA.
“The way my undergraduate degree married so well with what I’m doing now sort of surprised me. Because on paper, creative writing is just about the furthest you can get from engineering and development,” Taormina says. But he says, people underestimate how much they’ll need to use writing in their lives, day-to-day.
“Being able to write cohesively has made every report, email and correspondence more professional and digestible. I communicate technical information to residents and people who may not understand or have technical knowledge. My writing instruction at FDU, even though it was geared toward a more creative result, helps me communicate so much better.”
Since most of his job is geared toward urban planning and engineering, Taormina decided to pursue a master’s degree in architecture.
“I’m passionate about architecture, construction and safety. Architecture is probably the closest I can get to engineering and still have a sense of creativity. In my architecture studies, I do a lot of creative thinking. That originated with my degree at FDU,” Taormina says.