Over the last 5 years GIS Surveyors has been growing and providing high-level solutions within the LiDAR processing field. In the summer of 2019, GIS Surveyors hired a cohort of interns to handle quality assurance and the classification of LiDAR Data. Such work requires attention to detail, self-discipline, and proficiency in analytical and organizational thinking. My name is Kellen Rowe and I was one of the six interns to work the summer 2019 internship.
My first day began similarly, I assume, to the other interns – with a feeling of information overload; Point-Clouds, DGN’s, .las files, macros, etc. There was so much new terminology and several key pieces of robust software to master if I was to be successful. I found myself excited by the challenge and opportunity but also a bit overwhelmed. Luckily for myself and the other interns, solid, open-door leadership and a strong team-oriented environment made the learning process extremely dynamic and soon we were all making a legitimate contribution to accomplishing team goals.
For me, the value of this internship went far beyond the academic and financial benefits. In learning and applying the technical aspects of the industry, my theoretical/academic understanding of LiDAR was solidified in real world application. I was fortunate in my experience because the position, and the leadership in my office, allowed me to be challenged to a level beyond that of the generic job description. When other interns or I became proficient in any task, leadership would assign something new to keep us challenged and expand our understanding.
As the internship period approached its end, our local leadership sat down with each of us individually to extend an offer of employment or to conduct an exit interview. GIS Surveyors was accommodating regarding scheduling around my final quarter at the University of Washington and extended an offer for part-time employment, which I happily accepted. In the coming months I’m looking forward to the continued challenge and growth the company offers, and I am excited to graduate and become a full-time employee.
