May 31, 2016, Tigard, Ore. – Oregon high school students competed in the state-level Trig-Star competition this past month as part of a national movement to introduce land surveying as a career. Participating schools hosted the annual high school mathematics competition based on the practical application of Trigonometry. The program recognizes the best students from high schools throughout the nation. The top three winners of each school earned cash prizes. The first place students from each school then competed for $500 prize money, Oregon State Trig-Star Champion title and a chance to go on to win $2,000 as the Richard E. Lomax National Trig -Star Award Winner, sponsored by the National Society of Professional Surveyors.
This year’s 2016 Oregon State Trig-Star Champion is Andrew Reimer-Berg of West Salem High School. As a senior, he will graduate in June and attend Eastern Mennonite University, a private liberal arts university near Harrisonburg, Va. in the fall, where he has been awarded an Honors Scholarship. While his favorite subject is math, extracurricular interests involve music. Not only does Reimer-Berg play the piano, but also the cello in the school orchestra. He is a member of the 2015 and 2016 Salem All-City Orchestra and a vice president of West Salem High School’s National Honor Society.
“We would be lucky if someone like Andrew considered surveying as a profession. Trig-Star is a great way to introduce students to the building blocks used in land surveying,” said PLSO Executive Director Aimee McAuliffe. “The retirement rate of many of today’s surveyors is creating a huge demand for entry-level employees. Surveyors and mapping technicians can work in government, engineering, architecture, construction, real estate, transportation, utility companies, and other industries. This year alone, PLSO is giving out $15,000 in scholarships. The money is out there. Students just need to find the right opportunities.”
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The Professional Land Surveyors of Oregon represents more than 500 land surveyors and associated suppliers. It serves the land surveying industry in Oregon through professional education and outreach, holding paramount the interests of the public. To learn more about surveying as a career visit www.plso.org/education&careers.
