Alyia Gaskins (SCS’19) made history on election night, becoming the first Black woman elected mayor of Alexandria, Virginia. An alumna of the Master’s in Urban & Regional Planning program, Gaskins exemplifies the program’s mission to prepare leaders to navigate the complexities of community development. A week following the election, she returned to the School of Continuing Studies to share the journey that led to her groundbreaking mayoral win.
As a public health strategist and city planner, Gaskins was elected to Alexandria’s City Council in 2021 and is currently the senior program officer at the Melville Charitable Trust. While completing her master’s degree, she wrote her final capstone project on community development strategies for introducing light-rail systems. Gaskins said that whether she is thinking of transportation projects or affordable housing plans, her Urban & Regional Planning classes prepared her for where she is now.
“I took classes at SCS on everything from planning for health to transportation to community engagement. They helped me understand both the technical elements that have to go into land use planning and zoning as well as the conceptual ideas and frameworks for how we think about cities, how we plan for cities, and how we look at the intersections between many different types of issues that impact people's quality of life,” said Gaskins.
Gaskins decided to pursue her master's degree while working at the National League of Cities and wanted a program that would allow her to have a flexible schedule to keep up with the demands of her career. “I also love the fact that the program was focused on real-world experience,” she said. “It was important to me to work with people who are not just in academia but also practitioners and who could connect me to real-world experiences for my capstone and future career opportunities.”
Uwe Brandes, Faculty Director for the Master’s in Urban & Regional Planning program and founding member of Georgetown’s Global Cities Initiative, hosted the post-election event with Gaskins. Brandes said Gaskins’ feat is a testament to the program’s commitment, “Local politics are inherently interdisciplinary and require leadership; our program prepares young leaders to embrace this complexity and strive for tangible impacts.”
Embodying Faith that Does Justice, Gaskins originally became interested in serving her community as a child, volunteering at her church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “I grew up in a family where serving your community and helping others was really important,” she said. Raised by a single mom who juggled multiple jobs while navigating health challenges, Gaskins witnessed firsthand the struggles many go through to make ends meet, which shaped her understanding of service and equity.
Frequent trips to the emergency room with her mother initially sparked Gaskins' interest in public health. She realized the deeper systemic issues at play—like how poor housing conditions and financial insecurity exacerbate health issues and how difficult it can be to navigate a city without reliable transportation. Gaskins has made it her goal to get at the root of those problems within her community. Her passion for helping others grew into adulthood when she began volunteering with food banks and providing services for children in need of toys during the holidays.
“It was through those experiences that I learned more about the needs in my community, where the challenges keep coming up over and over and for which we need new solutions,” she shared. Soon after, Gaskins entered her name for the Alexandria Transportation Commission, where she gained expertise in how the Council makes decisions, paving her way to make history.
While speaking with students at Georgetown’s Global Cities Initiative event, Gaskins emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself and maintaining integrity in public office. Dedicated to building a healthier, more prosperous Alexandria, Gaskins encourages students interested in serving their communities to start now.
“Don't wait. You have a perspective to offer, and that perspective is valuable,” she said.
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