Student Experience: Martin Flores

“I took some CAD [computer-aided drafting] courses while I was still a senior in high school, and I’ve been working for the same company, an environmental engineering firm, since 2008. Once I was working there, I found that I was really interested in learning more about geospatial technology. 

“We have a large scope of business, applying the technology to major hurricanes like Ike and Rita to determine if claims will be covered by flood insurance. Through data that we gather and map, we can tell things like the time that water and wind damage began. I like drawing and gathering data to figure out ground elevation and wind speed and understanding how water travels. I’ve learned a lot of basic GIS information through my classes at Brookhaven. 

“I’m lucky to have a company that pays for my tuition, books and even gas mileage — and 50% of the field trip to Belize. In the future, I want to continue to work for this company and keep going to school to earn up to my master’s degree in GIS. I’d like to see where I can go from there.”  As a GIS engineering technician for Risk Management and Engineering in Garland, Martin Flores helps to gather and manage data for mapping hurricane damage to support or deny insurance claims. He is working towards an associate degree in GIS from Brookhaven.

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