Welcoming our latest Brand Ambassador Suzana Sormaz from Serbia:
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Which Brand Ambassador (BA) area do you cover: Serbia (all cities)
Ambassador Spotlight ‘Suzana Sormaz’
Ambassador Spotlight ‘John Fraser’
Introducing our latest Brand Ambassador John Fraser from Milton Keynes in the UK:
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What Brand Ambassador (BA) area are you covering? UK, Ireland, Benelux
Character Spotlight ‘McElhanney’
Introducing our latest sponsor who have the new Homework Project ‘Masters of Measures’, check it out!
Let’s learn some more about them:
Company Name –
- Location –
Our headquarters are in Vancouver, BC but we have 30+ offices across Western Canada!
- Why is it important for your company to help Get Kids into Survey?
As surveying has been a core McElhanney service since 1910, we have always been – and always will be – dedicated to advancing the industry and helping the next generation of surveying professionals flourish.
Everything in our built world – including the parks we play in, schools we study in, and paths we ride our bikes on – would be impossible without surveying. Surveyors are essential to developing vibrant communities, and we couldn’t build the places we call home without them!
And guess what? Surveying is also a fulfilling, fun, and outdoor-based career choice. We wanted to get involved in Get Kids into Survey because we want kids, teachers, and students to know about all the exciting career paths available in the industry. The world needs more surveyors!
- What do you do?
I am a surveyor at McElhanney, which means I get to go to all sorts of wild places (sometimes back to my home swamp!) and play with wicked technology. At McElhanney, we provide geomatics, geospatial, GIS, engineering, environmental, planning, and landscape architecture services to clients across Western Canada and beyond. Me and my fellow McElhanney surveyors use all sorts of cool equipment like drones, laser scanners (ground-based and mobile), GPS, and total stations to collect and display our data in all sorts of ways: digital maps, plans, 3D models, and augmented reality models!
- How long have you been in the survey industry?
McElhanney’s roots go all the way back to 1910: we’ve been in the survey industry for over 110 years!
- How did you end up getting into the geospatial industry?
Growing up in my small home swamp, I knew I wanted to do something more with my life and sought out to find my purpose. Being so passionate about surveying, you would think that was the career I chose first. But no! I started out on a berry farm. Well, truthfully, they just hired me to stomp on the berries with my exceptionally large hooves to help make juice and jam!
While that job gave me a taste for working with my hooves in the outdoors, I felt like wanted to do something more. One day, a surveyor came to map out an area of the berry farm that had to be realigned, and they had so many cool gadgets that I just had to know more! Luckily, the surveyor was really friendly and spoke to me about how they got into surveying and where to start out.
I worked for McElhanney for a few years as a surveyor, starting out as an assistant and then becoming a junior technician. I went to university and then returned to McElhanney over my summer breaks until I got my degree! I’ve been with them ever since.
- State a funny fact about you…
My legs are so long that I have my own custom-made tripods. It is often helpful that I am tall, because it means I get higher than some trees when we work further north, meaning I get a better signal with our GPS. I’m not quite as high up as the satellites that our GPS technology uses to calculate our position on the earth’s surface, but sometimes I feel like it! When I am working with other surveyors who are not moose like me, we have to set up our tripod low enough for them and I have to kneel down to see through the telescope. Luckily, we’re using laser scanning more and more now, which doesn’t require a telescope.
- Favorite piece of kit and why?
Gather ‘round, my forest explorers! Let me spin you a tale about old Spruce the Moose here, once named the Quirkiest Moose in all the Land! Now, you may think as a moose, I would spend my days munching on leaves and counting pinecones. But no! There is a lot more to me, you see. I have a secret – a love that runs deeper than the roots of a Spruce tree.
I’m sure you’d expect me to stick to the forest floors but let me tell you: I harbor a love for the subsea, and what’s my favorite aquatic sidekick? Sonars! These nifty gadgets go “ping” and echo, revealing all the mysteries hidden beneath the waves. Imagine me, the antlered adventurer, wearing moose-sized goggles diving into the ocean using my near X-ray vision to see for thousands of feet! With these sonars, I can help unravel the secrets and treasures the ocean floor loves to keep.
And that, my friends, is why I love sonars of all varieties. They’re not just a piece of my kit, but they’re a ticket to adventure, discovery, and a splash of underwater magic!
- Favorite Survey technique and why?
I have a real “hoof” of a time when I’m working on a survey that incorporates all of my skillsets, as the variety keeps my job interesting. However, when I get to fly our drones, I feel like a pilot!
Actually, I am a pilot, but only of small remotely piloted aircrafts. I wouldn’t trust me in a commercial plane, as I wouldn’t even fit in the cockpit with my antlers! So, I’d say that capturing LiDAR data from one of our multi-rotor drones is my favourite survey
Brand Ambassador Hotsheet
Who are our Brand Ambassadors?
What does being a Brand Ambassador Involve?
What do you receive when you become a Brand Ambassador?
How do I become a Brand Ambassador?
Want access to our new Brand Ambassador Hub (with thanks to Topcon)?
All these questions are answered in the downloadable document below!
For further information please email erin@getkidsintosurvey.com
Or have a read and apply through the Brand Ambassador page.
Ambassador Spotlight ‘Mike Stewart’
Introducing our latest ambassador Mike Stewart who is from Utah area in the USA:
Where did you study? Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah
What are the requirements to be a surveyor in your area? To be a surveyor in Utah, you need a combined 8 years worth of schooling and work experience. The good news is you can obtain them simultaneously. You also need to pass 2 national exams and the Utah state specific exam. For me, I obtained my bachelors degree in Geomatics and then had 4 years of work experience
How did you get into surveying? I was introduced to the idea of becoming a surveyor at age 20 by a future employer who was working as a civil engineer. I was exploring civil engineering at the time and when I met with this engineer he told me that if he could go back and do it all over again he’d be a surveyor. I asked him why, and he said that surveyors get to work inside and outside and are always working on different projects and are not confined to a desk every day. That peaked my interest and the more I looked into surveying the more I liked it and it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the profession.
How long have you been in the industry? I have been in the surveying industry since 2015.
Are you part of any associations or organizations you would like us to mention? I am a member of the Utah Council of Land Surveyors.
Why is it important for kids to know about surveying and the wider geospatial industry? Kids love technology and as a surveyor I get to use some the latest cutting-edge technologies in my work. Weather it’s a drone, a GPS, a LiDAR system, or a new computer program I get to combine state of the art technology with centuries old methodologies to do something I love. Beyond surveying, there are great careers in other related fields such as GIS (geographical information systems), Geodesy (the study of the shape of the earth and the math and science behind coordinate systems), Photogrammetry (creating high accuracy 3D models from images), and Remote Sensing (3D scanning via LiDAR, multispectral scanning, and raster image analyzation).
On top of all this cool tech, surveyors play a vital role in our society’s infrastructure. When a new road, building, house, etc… is going to be built, surveyors are called. When a property owner wants to know their property boundary, a surveyor is called. When land is going to be subdivide, combined, or adjusted, a surveyor is called.
What are you going to do as an ambassador for GKiS? What are your hobbies? As an ambassador for GKiS, I will be working with the local schools to help promote the great industry of surveying. I will be attending and helping with STEM fairs and Career Nights. My biggest hobbies and passions involve the outdoors. Weather that is hunting, fishing, backpacking, rock climbing, hiking, or exploring, I just love seeing the beaty of the land. I also enjoy playing sports and being active.
Anything else you want to add that you think our audience (surveyors, teachers, parents) would be interested in? In conclusion, surveying is a very old and well-respected industry. Traditionally, it may not have paid as much as its neighboring field of engineering. However, that is not the case anymore. Surveying has become a very well paid profession and for me is very satisfying and rewarding.
Ambassador Spotlight ‘Jeremy Powell’
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Where did you study? Linn State Technical College
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*Pass the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying Examination (FS) and the NCEES Principals of Land Surveying Examination (PS).
*Intern for a period of four years as an LSIT.
*Acquire the necessary professional field and office experience in land surveying under the immediate supervision of a professional land
surveyor.
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25 years
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I learned AutoCAD in high school and attended Linn State to pursue a drafting degree. I discovered land surveying along the way when I was hired as a drafting technician.
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Certified Federal Surveyor (CFedS)
Missouri Society of Professional Surveyors (MSPS)
MSPS Young Surveyors Committee
MSPS Scholarship Committee
Kansas Society of Professional Surveyors (KSPS)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
National Institute for Construction Excellence (NICE)
American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS)
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Introducing the field of land surveying to the younger generation is crucial for ensuring the continuity of this dynamic profession. As many licensed professionals in the field are approaching retirement age, there is a growing need to inspire and educate the youth about the opportunities in land surveying. By raising awareness about this field early on, we can help cultivate the next generation of skilled surveyors who can continue the important work of mapping and measuring the Earth’s surface.
Educating kids about land surveying can open their eyes to the diverse career paths available within this field. From using advanced technology like drones and GPS equipment to working outdoors and collaborating with engineers and architects, land surveying offers a range of exciting opportunities. By highlighting the importance of accurate land measurements in construction, urban planning, environmental conservation, and more, we can inspire young minds to pursue licensure in land surveying and contribute to shaping the world around us.
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Encouraging children to learn about land surveying not only broadens their horizons but also nurtures their problem-solving skills and critical thinking abilities. Exposing them to the endless opportunities within the industry can ignite a passion for exploration and discovery. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, introducing kids to the latest trends and advancements in our industry can prepare them for a future where innovation and adaptability are key. By fostering an early interest in the field of land surveying, we empower the next generation to shape the future and make a positive impact on the world.
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I would like to mentor our youth as they explore careers in land surveying. Volunteering my time to demonstrate the equipment used in mapping highways, building bridges, and constructing buildings, would hopefully inspire the next generation of land surveyors. Introducing young minds to the practical applications of land surveying equipment to help them understand the importance of precision and accuracy in various construction projects.
I hope, by sharing my expertise and knowledge with youth to spark their interest in a field that is essential for infrastructure development and urban planning. Through hands-on demonstrations, I would like to show them how surveying techniques contribute to creating detailed maps, determining property boundaries, and ensuring the safe and efficient design of structures.
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Fishing, hiking, and spending time with my family.
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A Data Collecting Doberman!
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More outreach to educators in the classroom and career fairs.
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Trades have played a vital role in the development of civilizations throughout history, serving as the backbone of economic activity. While the focus on traditional trades may have diminished over time, the importance of skilled professions like land surveying remains constant, especially in the realm of infrastructure projects. Surveying is a critical trade that is indispensable from the inception to the completion of any infrastructure project.
Land surveyors play a crucial role in the planning, design, and execution of various construction projects by accurately mapping out the land, determining boundaries, and collecting essential data for decision-making processes. Our expertise ensures that construction projects are carried out efficiently, safely, and in compliance with regulations. Without the valuable contributions of land surveyors, the successful completion of infrastructure projects would be significantly impeded. Recognizing and valuing the trade of surveying is essential for the continued progress and prosperity of societies worldwide.
Ambassador Spotlight ‘Amy Johnson’
Introducing our latest Ambassador Amy Johnson from Flower Mound, Texas, USA:
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What are the requirements to be a Surveyor in Texas? 4yr Education, FS and PS exam
Please contact us if you’d like to get in touch with Amy via email.
Ambassador Spotlight ‘Melvin Penwill’
Introducing Melvin Penwill covering the Midlands, UK:
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Where did you study? Nottingham Trent University