Shakira Garnett Reflects the Spirit of Individualized Study

If you walk past the School of Individualized Study office, you will usually find Shakira Garnett with a friendly smile welcoming you at the front desk.

For Shakira Garnett ‘25, the journey to finding their academic concentration was anything but straightforward. Shakira entered RIT as an Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering Technology student, and soon realized it was not what she truly wanted.

“That changed when Abby Cantwell, the director of SOIS academic services, visited one of my classes and introduced the program… After taking SOIS 101 with Meg Walbaum and Sydney Wyse, I realized I loved the idea of designing my own degree.”

After finding that Individualized Study was the right step for Garnett in her education, she decided to pursue her B.S, concentrating in Imaging Science and Geographic Information Systems, with a minor in Psychology. Her concentration is titled “Imaging in Geospatial Analytics”.

During the 2025 SOIS Difference Makers Dinner, Garnett was one of eight students awarded the Spirit of SOIS award which recognizes students who reflect the heart of SOIS - people who design their own paths with intention, creativity, and a strong sense of purpose.

“That recognition meant more to me than simply earning a degree—it was a powerful reminder of my purpose and potential.”

Shakira is graduating at the end of Fall 25’ semester and is using prior networking to connect with Co-Op’s in hospitals and health facilities for data science.  Shakira’s journey is a true reflection of the SOIS spirit, and we can’t wait to see how she continues using her creativity and purpose to make a difference.