Consider volunteering for one of the LSAW Committees that work to promote public awreness of the profession. Contact the LSAW Executive Office for more information
LSAW is dedicated to providing outreach and public awareness regarding the land surveying profession. Click the links below to learn more about our outreach projects.
Trig-Star is an annual high school mathematics competition based on the practical application of Trigonometry. Students that participate are not only provided with an opportunity to earn awards, but also leave with a better understanding of the technical profession of Geomatics, which includes Land Surveying and Mapping.
Professional Land Surveyors use the Trig-Star program to advance communication with the communities they serve. Local Land Surveying and Civil Engineering companies provide professionals who volunteer their time to explain how trigonometry is used to solve Land Surveying and Mapping problems.
There may be a presentation by a Land Surveyor from one of the local surveying companies to help participants understand the Geomatics profession. The exam is a timed exercise of one hour, during which students must solve trigonometric problems that incorporate the use of right triangle formulas, the law of sines, and the law of cosines. Winners are determined by the most correct answers in the fastest time. The Trig-Star program, in the State of Washington, has three levels of testing and awards.
This level of testing is given to local high schools. There is one winner per high school and that winner advances to compete at the state level. Awards at this level are established by the local chapter sponsor.
The National test is given locally and scored in July at the NSPS headquarters. There are three levels of awards for the National test. 1st Place is a $2000 cash award to the student winner and a $2000 Teacher Excellence Award to the teacher of the winner, 2nd Place is a $1000 cash award to the student winner and a $1000 Teacher Excellence Award to the teacher of the winner, 3rd Place is a $500 cash award to the student winner and a $500 Teacher Excellence Award to the teacher of the winner.
The annual deadline for local testing is May, with exams normally administered in late winter or in spring. For more information visit the Trig-Star website.
2019 | Chloe Chapman | North River HS | Southwest Chapter |
2018 | Kai Burgman | North Thurston HS | Southwest Chapter |
2017 | Saowapakn Hanoadunkit | Rainier HS | Southwest Chapter |
2016 | Jeffrey Mayolo | LaCenter HS | Southwest Chapter |
2015 | Joshua Shephard | Union HS | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2014 | Natalie Sanchez | Rochester HS | Southwest Chapter |
2013 | Sam Shuman | Graham/Kapowsin HS | South Puget Sound Chapter |
2012 | Sean Phenise | Graham/Kapowsin HS | South Puget Sound Chapter |
2011 | David Anderson | Graham/Kapowsin HS | South Puget Sound Chapter |
2010 | John Christopher | ||
2007 | Bryan Minor | Prairie HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2006 | Bryan Minor | Prairie HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2005 | Pavan Vaswani | Skyview HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2004 | Alexander Hudson | Prairie HS, Brush Prairie, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2003 | Christopher Dow | Battle Ground HS, Battle Ground, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2002 | Bouchane Henderson | La Center HS, La Center, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2001 | Phillip Opperman | Skyview HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
2000 | Bon Ung | Evergreen HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
1999 | Jon Loehrke | Stevenson HS, Stevenson, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
1998 | Trung Le | Fort Vancouver HS, Vancouver, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
1997 | James Pate | North Thurston HS, Lacey, WA | Southwest Chapter |
1996 | Matthew Gibson | Ridgefield HS, Ridgefield, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
1995 | Travis Bodeutsch | Tumwater HS, Tumwater, WA | Southwest Chapter |
1994 | Michael Noble | Sammamish HS, Bellevue, WA | North Puget Sound Chap. |
1993 | Tim Uy | Sehome HS, Bellingham, WA | Northwest Chapter |
1992 | Lance Cheney | Prairie HS, Brush Prairie, WA | Lower Columbia Chapter |
1991 | Joseph Lee | Cascade HS, Everett, WA | Snohomish Chapter |
1990 | -Not awarded- | n/a | n/a |
1989 | Chris Corrie | Capitol HS, Olympia, WA | Southwest Chapter |