Let's Celebrate Your 2025 GIS Accomplishments!

[JesseCloutier]

For so many of us, December signals the final push on our roadmap goals. Lingering tasks get ushered to completion and we busy ourselves tidying up any loose ends on projects. It’s also a time when we start looking back and appreciating what we’ve been able to do over the course of the year.

We want to hear about what you accomplished in 2025. Leave a comment below to share a GIS achievement that you’re proud of, big or small. Don’t be shy about tooting your own horn—good work deserves to be recognized! And if someone here in Esri Community played a role helped along the way, be sure to tag them so that they get recognized for the assist.

[JesseCloutier]

I'll start with an achievement I'm proud of. In addition to the great programming I was able to support or directly facilitate as part of the Esri Community team, 2025 marks the first year I gave a GIS Day presentation at my child's school. It's something I've meant to do for the last several years and it just hadn't happened for one reason or another. Together with the 3rd grade teacher, we were able to come up with a good 45 minute presentation plan that was engaging for the students. I wrote about it in Celebrating GIS Day with a 3rd Grade Class in New Hampshire.

Tossing in a second accomplishment, I want to also give a big thanks to @MeleKoneya for partnering with me in producing his story How They Helped Me Make My Esri User Conference Map Impactful as part of a new series I began getting off the ground this year. I'd been mulling over different plans for this type of content in in recent years and Mele's contribution gave it a strong launch. Your partnership on that has been very much appreciated, Mele!

[MeleKoneya1]

Thank you @JesseCloutier!!    I am honored to have helped with your new series.     I appreciate our partnership on this and other Community projects.    

[SandraFlores-Castillo]

2025 has been such a meaningful year in my GIS journey! 🙂 One of my proudest accomplishments was receiving the 2025 Emerging Professional Award, which truly encouraged me to keep growing in photogrammetry and remote sensing.

I also advanced several projects that strengthened data accuracy and supported better decision-making at MnDOT. Another highlight was expanding my STEM outreach efforts, sharing GIS and geospatial career pathways with students to help inspire the next generation.

A special shoutout to @EmilyKnish-Anderson, whose mentorship in the Esri Community has been invaluable. I’m grateful for everyone here who shares their knowledge and continuously pushes our field forward!

2025 Emerging Professional Award

[JesseCloutier]

A huge congratulations to you on the Emerging Professionals Award, @SandraFlores-Castillo! Your data accuracy work with MnDOT sounds like it's already yielding results, and the career guidance you're investing in the next generation of GIS professionals is important, valuable work. It may very well be that the example you're setting has a major impact on the trajectory on the future for those students.

Thanks also for calling out our colleague @EmilyKnish-Anderson's mentorship impact. We always love seeing the threads of connection and collaboration between Esri Community users being brought to light!  

[EllieHakariAK]

This is awesome @SandraFlores-Castillo! Congrats! 🎉

[SandraFlores-Castillo]

Thank you so much! 😊 @EllieHakariAK 

[EmilyKnish-Anderson]

Thank you so much Sandra! I am so proud of you and all of your accomplishments, you had an amazing year! You have a bright future ahead of you and will have many more of these moments for sure!!

[SandraFlores-Castillo]

Of course!! Thank you so much for supporting me every step of my GIS journey!😊 @EmilyKnish-Anderson 

[lisachaparroc]

Este año, realice en conjunto con ESRI, Planeta ESRi en la IUDIgital de Antioquia y fue una experiencia maravillosa, nos fue super bien...