SURVEYING INDUSTRY

Essay Contest

To Celebrate

The 200th Anniversary of the Historic Lewis & Clark Expedition

and

Surveyor’s Week in Texas

 

 

 

Eligibility

 

If you reside in Bexar County and are enrolled in math, engineering or science classes on either a high school, technical college, junior college or university level, you are invited to share your writing and research skills to write an essay on “How the Surveying Profession has Shaped Texas.”

 

Prizes

 

·        Prizes will be awarded to both high school and college level students.

·        Grand Prize winners will receive a $500 US Savings Bond.

·        Honorable Mention winners will receive other prizes.

·        All winners will be included in contest post-publicity.

·        All applicants will receive a Certificate of Participation.

·        If you cite a teacher, librarian, dean, mentor or other educational adviser (with contact information) as instrumental to your participation in the contest, and if you are selected as one of the winners, that individual will be recognized with a special Certificate, also.

 

Procedures

 

Essays should be under 1000 words and must be 12 point word-processed or typed double-spaced. We regret that only hard copies will be accepted – no email or CD’s or diskettes.

 

Each applicant may submit only one essay per year.

 

Please provide: full name, age, school, year in school, address, phone number and email address on the title page of your essay so that we can 1) determine your category and 2) contact you, if you are declared a winner.

 

 

 

All sources cited in the essay must be properly footnoted and referenced in the bibliography.

 

Entries must be postmarked before Thursday, April 15, 2004 and mailed to:

 

Surveying Essay Contest

c/o SurveySA

5730 NW Parkway, Ste. 500

San Antonio, TX  78249

 

No essays will be returned. Both winning and non-winning essays will become the sole property of SurveySA. The decisions of  the three guest judges will be final. Winning essays (including Honorable Mention) will be posted on the SurveySA website at www.surveysa.com.

 

 

Topic:


“How the Surveying Profession has Shaped Texas.”

 

In the early days of Texas settlement, land ownership was granted under the diverse jurisdictions of Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas. The state’s earliest surveyors, therefore, lead interesting and sometimes perilous lives in the pursuit of their profession. As a result, there are many stories throughout Texas history on how surveyors played a significant role in the settlement and land division of Texas.

 

 

Criteria


All essays will be judged against the following criteria:

 

Historical Accuracy                                                               40 points

Relevance                                                                               30 points

Understanding of the Profession                                          25 points

Bibliography                                                                          5 points

 

Background of SurveySA

 

SurveySA is a residential and commercial land surveying company dedicated to preserving the exacting profession of surveying.  SurveySA believes that education is key to building better futures.  We encourage students to become involved in their profession as soon as possible, as it will help them become better employees and business owners.