My Introduction to the GIS Community

[Ben_Crane]

Hello everyone! My name is Benjamin Crane, I am currently a Geography/GIS major at California State University San Marcos. I am open to any GIS position in the San Diego area. My GIS journey began when I was interning with Vallecitos Water District in San Marcos, CA in 2022. Since then I have been learning all about geography and GIS through Esri Academy and the Geography program at CSUSM. 

In the Summer of 2023 I had the opportunity to be an intern at Moulton Niguel Water District. While at Moulton I was able to meet some great professionals in their GIS department, get hands on experience with ArcGIS Online, Geocortex, other GIS software, as well as attend the Esri UC conference. These opportunities lead me to the decision to continue on the path to becoming a GIS professional.

I am looking to network with as many people in the GIS sphere as possible in order to learn more about the steps I can take to grow as a GIS professional. I would love to hear advice from all of you, whether it be how to network, which certifications to gain, or general work/life advice!

[Tony_DLR22]

Hi Ben,

You have a great start and have interned at great places!  If you plan on staying in this sector, I highly recommend  joining the Esri Water Group. Not sure if you were able to make it to the Esri Water Summit May 1st, but we regularly have meetups and webinars on GIS within the water industry. If you're still in school, try to learn as much as you can about the Utility Network, that's what most of us in the industry are trying to figure out right now 😅.  Feel free to add me on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonio-de-la-rosa

[Christopher_Mayes]

Hello Ben and thank you for sharing, I am also looking into the same things and I hope you are able to get the knowledge and mentorship you are looking for!

[Ruthekeh]

Thanks Ben. I am also willing to network with as many people in GIS as possible and seeking same advice as well.