Introducing our fabulous Brand Sponsors, Subsea7. Let’s learn some more about them:

1.   Company Name – Subsea7

2.   Location – Everywhere you can imagine, around the world

3.   Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey?  Imagine if we could play an awesome treasure hunt game, but instead of looking for gold, we find cool places on maps and learn about our amazing planet! It’s like being a detective or an explorer! Getting kids into surveying and map-making is like opening a treasure chest of curiosity and fun! It gets them excited about cool subjects like science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Plus, it helps them learn awesome skills for the future!

By exploring these fields, kids can become the next generation of super-smart inventors who solve big problems and make the world a better place.

It’s also super important that kids from all different backgrounds join in. This way, we get tons of creative ideas, and everyone has the chance to discover what they love.

4.   What do you do? As a Project Surveyor in the offshore energy world, I get to use special tools to discover what’s under the ocean and help create awesome projects. Imagine being an underwater explorer with cool gadgets! My work routinely involves:

• Create Treasure Maps: Use sonar to map the ocean floor and find spots for building wind farms and .
• Use Amazing Tools: Operate high-tech gadgets like sonar and GPS.
• Protect the Ocean: Ensure projects are safe for sea creatures and the environment.
• Join Team Adventures: Work with experts to create and protect structures in the ocean.
• Analyse Clues: Study data to help plan safe projects.

Isn’t it like an epic underwater quest?

5.   How long have you been in the survey industry? Around 11 years, started doing scientific research while in University

6.   How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry? When I was a little girl, I loved watching ocean documentaries with my dad. As I got older, I dreamed of becoming one of the cool lady ocean explorers I saw on TV. One day, a big tsunami hit Indonesia, that was a very sad time for many and made me super curious about why and how it happened. That’s when I decided to study Oceanography and got hooked on Geo Sciences.

7.   State a funny fact about you… I have my very own collection of awesome rocks and fossils, and it’s my biggest treasure! Some of them come from deep-ocean volcanoes and ancient coral reefs. My coolest fossil is a shark tooth that’s 200 million years old and almost as big as my hand!

8.   Favourite piece of kit and why?  I love our ROVs, which are super cool underwater robots! They can dive deep into the ocean and have all kinds of awesome gadgets to help explore and map the seafloor. You can even customise them, just like people do with their cars!

9.   Favourite Survey technique and why? I love the MBES, which stands for Multibeam Echosounder! It’s a super cool gadget that helps us make really detailed maps of the ocean floor.  With it, we can spot shipwrecks, pipelines, and even tiny structures, just like we’re seeing them right in front of us. It’s an awesome tool for exploring the deep sea.

10. Your website

11. How did you choose the character and what’s her name? Sophia “The Surveyor”

Welcoming latest Brand Ambassador Geoffrey Thomas from Waikato Region of New Zealand! Let’s learn some more about him:

How did you get into surveying? Was introduced to surveying in 2nd year high school by a family friend wanting a chainman over school holidays. This sparked my interest in Surveying and development.

Tell us about what you do: With 20 plus years’ experience, I have worked on large scale projects including wind farms, state highways & residential developments. In my current role I have worked on civil infrastructure projects to help steer & guide Horizontal Direction Drills, monitor railway lines while crews pipe jack & auger bore steel casings underground. I also work with large construction equipment & machine control.

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? I get asked all the time by children what I’m taking pictures of when working on the street. But by only having limited time to chat, I can see their curiosity and interest. Growing up I never knew what surveying was until I had some initial work experience. So, by visiting schools, both primary & secondary I can help promote the industry by talking to teachers & passing on resources, I can also do demonstrations of my equipment & talk about my jobs/roles and experiences. And if some are interested i could take them in the field to show what a day in the life of a surveyor is like.

Anything else that you’d like to add? I have coached my nephew’s jr rugby team for the past 4 seasons, so I have experience with younger children. Plus my working experience on unique projects i can provide a different perspective to general surveyors

Welcome Maria Jianu our latest Brand Ambassador from the Banat region of Romania! Let’s learn some more about her:

How did you get into surveying? I did my studies at Politehnica University of Timisoara, majoring in Geodetical Engineering. Then I continued with my bachelor studies in the field of Cadaster and Land Evaluation. After that I obtained my PhD in Civil Engineering (my thesis research was dam monitoring using topographical technologies and techniques).

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? I want to promote Surveying and to make it more attractive for kids because it gives them tools to explore, imagine and connect with the world around them.
Children are naturally curious and when they learn to represent the environment around them, they become adventurous and want to explore.
Also, reading and interpreting a map develops their critical thinking and spatial skills.
Furthermore, it brings passion, creativity and it connects technology with nature, encouraging environmental awareness and inspiring responsible choices.

Tell us a bit about what you do: I teach, at Politehnica University, Surveying for civil engineering students from the study programs: Civil engineering in English language and in German language. And for students from Terrestrial Measurements and Cadastre study programme I teach Photogrammetry and Surveying.

Welcoming Brand Ambassador Kevin Corbley who is from Colorado Front Range, USA:

How did you get into surveying? Landsat commercialization

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? Helping create a “Get Kids into Geospatial” program.

Tell us a bit about what you do: Geospatial business development, marketing, and public relations.

Anything else you’d like to add? I have given dozens of geospatial career presentations to U.S. middle and high school students.

Welcoming our latest Brand Ambassador Aaron Friess from Wisconsin, USA. Covering the area of Racine/Kenosha/Southern-Milwaukee Metro.

How did you get into the geospatial industry? I met my survey instructor, Dave Langhoff, at an open house at Milwaukee Area Tech College in 2014 while looking for career options. Needless to say, he sold me on the profession and I’ve been involved ever since.

Tell us a bit about what you do: Currently I am the Survey Manager at Nielsen Madsen & Barber, a civil engineering and surveying firm in Racine, WI. I oversee operations of 3-4 field crews and 2-3 drafters daily. I stamp all plats and surveys that come out of our office.

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? I plan to connect with the local area school districts to spread industry awareness, whether through classroom visits or career fairs. I would also like to become a part-time instructor at MATC.

Anything else that you’d like to add? I have been surveying for over 10 years now. I worked my way from a field technician to a licensed surveyor and project manager. Outside of my profession, my wife and I are expecting our first child in January (a daughter). I enjoy being outdoors fishing and playing disc golf.

Introducing Angela Bleboo from Ghana, Africa:

How did you get into surveying? Growing up, I wanted to be a pediatrician because I love babies. My story had a little twist during my application to the university. In Ghana, you are to make 4 choices for programmes you want to study at a particular university. My uncle, who was my acting dad since I lost my dad at the age of 11, recommended Geomatic Engineering as part of my choices. I was given an offer to study Geomatic Engineering amongst the other choices. I studied BSc. Geomatic Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana. And I can truly say that, though it was a difficult decision to make at that time, I have no regrets accepting that offer. The journey has been full of discovery, even of myself, and I am happy about that.

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? I realized in my surveying journey that one thing still stayed with me despite the change of path to becoming a paediatrician; my passion for the younger generation. Becoming an ambassador is not just a title I want to carry, I want to help raise awareness of a profession which needs to be advertised more to a generation. The world needs more surveyors and geospatial experts especially the young. I want to be that voice that shows light on this path. My main plan is to inspire curiosity among the younger generation in Ghana. I will integrate this with Geocon Initiative, encouraging more people to become ambassadors. Also, I will organise school visits, games, and other activities to introduce pupils to the world of surveying.

Tell us a bit about what you do: I work with Soko Aerial Robotics in the position as UAV Operations and Geospatial Research Assistant. I also facilitate drone training courses for STEM clubs and through outreaches, spread awareness of surveying geospatial science . These outreaches are through Geocon Initiative, of which I am the founder.

Introducing our latest Brand Ambassador Sam Trowbridge from North Carolina, USA:

How did you get into surveying? I started out working as a student for USGS and their program for Coastal Restoration in Louisiana. I job was to collect data and create the maps to monitor coastal erosion. This inspired me and I began my journey in GIS Geographic Information Systems and how it can assist in Surveying. I work hand in hand with Surveyors all over the US in elevating their survey grade data and promoting it through GIS displays and monitoring maps.

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? As a mom I believe that it is important to raise awareness of this world of Surveying and its different components. I hope to encourage and bring to light an industry that has changed my life and the lives of my family members.

Tell us a bit about what you do: I am a GIS Director I manage a team of GIS professionals, and our goal is to utilize GIS to enhance our Surveying services. Providing customers with the accuracy of Survey data along with GIS displays and automations.

Anything else that you’d like to add? To make the unseen, seen. My favorite part about Surveying is that you are helping others, providing clarity as to things that people usually cannot see. My goal is to use GIS to help enhance that vision that Surveying can provide. I am happy to be a woman in this industry and I look forward to encouraging the next generation.

Welcoming our latest Brand Ambassador Ashlee Graybeal from Oregon, USA:

How did you get into the Geospatial industry? My partner is a PLS in Oregon and is a Geomatics Instructor at Oregon State University. I took my current job because I could see there is a need to help grow the surveying workforce. My oldest son has also spent a summer interning as a survey tech locally so I like to encourage teenagers to pursue similar opportunities in high school.

Tell us a bit about what you do: I travel throughout Oregon to middle and high schools and share about the surveying profession as a career. I also partner with our local Professional Surveyors of Oregon (PLSO) to provide support and information around the licensure aspect of the profession.

What are your plans as a Brand Ambassador? I plan to continue my outreach efforts throughout Oregon, reaching students in every area of our state and letting them know that surveying is an excellent profession to pursue.

Anything else that you’d like to add? I have presented in over 30 middle and high school classrooms. At the beginning of each presentation, I ask the students if any of them know a surveyor and to date, I have had one single student share that their grandfather was a surveyor. Over the last two years, I have been able to educate 500+ students on what surveying is and how they can become a professional, and the students are locked in the entire time. Get ready industry, you have a workforce coming your way!