As the new year dawns I want to call everyone’s attention to the importance of supporting Younger Geospatial Professionals, like Cassandra Quintal. They are the future of our profession and all of us need to work together to encourage and mentor this group.
One to the ways we can do that is with the Spotlight Interview. If you would like to be interviewed or would like to recommend someone please click here.
We will be announcing the Younger Geospatial Professional of the Year Award contest in conjunction with SPAR 2020. The following was originally published in September 2018.
This is the first of an ongoing series of interviews entitled “Spotlight on Young Geospatial Professionals.” If you would like to share your story or recommend someone please contact editor@lidarnews.com. Congratulations to Cassandra Quintal for being the first Younger Geospatial Professional Spotlight interview.
It is a pleasure to introduce Cassandra Quintal, the president of the Maine Young Surveyors Group (MYS) and the recipient of the FIG Foundation grant to represent Young Surveyors at the NSPS/ FIG Young Surveyors North American Meeting in Washington, DC.
My career path didn’t lead me directly into surveying, I took the roundabout way in landing my dream job. But stepping ahead, I started surveying in May 2014 for Sebago Technics Inc. I have the opportunity to work outside at the most beautiful properties in Maine and inside, hopefully on the bad weather days, on GIS and CAD Draft. Surveying is hard work that requires a “Jack of all trades” kind of attitude but the technology is advancing into a new realm. My education in GIS helps me to understand the spatial relationship between on-the-ground surveying and the digital world. Building respect in the surveying industry takes time, experience and networking but this career becomes a passion.
In February of this year, I founded the Maine Young Surveyors Group. We’ve held a handful of events including “Lightning Talks” and study sessions. MYS led an expedition up Mount Katahdin in August to measure the exact elevation of the tallest mountain in Maine. We camped at Abol Stream in Baxter State Park and set out to find and measure survey control markers on the mountain. The group is growing and recruiting new members.
I am delighted to be heading to DC in October to represent Young Surveyors and to help promote the surveying profession.
Surveying is a career to be passionate about.
Cassandra Quintal Digital Mapping Technician/Surveyor
cquintal@sebagotechnics.com | www.sebagotechnics.com
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