Surveying Students Help Build Homes

Members of the Penn State Wilkes-Barre Surveying Society recently volunteered their time lending a hand with the Wyoming Valley Habitat for Humanity, a community project that they have enjoyed for the past several years.

"We've found that Habitat is just a natural fit for most of the members of the Surveying Society," said Chris Jackson, Surveying Society President.  "Even though as surveyors we aren't directly trained for the kind of build work that we've done at Habitat, a lot of our members have worked for contractors, roofers, and landscapers in the past so we can provide a good service to them."

Jackson said Habitat for Humanity is also a gratifying project for the surveyors, especially when they get to see how their work helps the community.

"On our last build day there was a lady that worked with us who will be moving into the house that we worked on this past spring," Jackson said.  "It was really rewarding to have her express her gratitude in person when she didn't know us and we didn't know her.  It was just coincidence that we ended up at the same site together."

The purpose of the Surveying Society is to provide the surveying students with exposure to professionals in their field through various guest speakers and field trips. The Society also exists to familiarize fellow Penn State students to surveying skills through community projects held on or off campus.

For more information, please contact Melissa Gunshannon, Public Information Coordinator at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, at [email protected] or 570-675-9269.

Surveying Society Habitat for Humanity Project
Surveying Society Habitat for Humanity Project
Top photo: Surveying Society Treasurer Eric Bogumil (on ladder) working on a Habitat for Humanity house
Bottom photo: Bob Venesky, Secretary of the Surveying Society, preparing to attach plywood for an exterior wall