"Mapping Hawaii" with Mandy Sumner'02
Mandy Sumner'02 earned her degree in
Geosciences in 2002 from USM, and hasn't looked back, embarking upon
adventures across the world. From traveling to the Middle East to
explore mines to working on active volcanoes in Nicaragua, she's
certainly seen her share of interesting and exciting things! We caught
up with Mandy in Oahu, where she is currently living and
working as a GIS Specialist. Read
our interview with Mandy, and learn what life is like in a tropical
paradise- plus, things not to miss when you visit the islands!
Experience Hawaii with Mandy's pictures of her life on the islandsWhat type of work are you doing in Oahu?
I
am currently a GIS Specialist for an environmental company called TRM (Total
Resource Management) that is subcontracted out to another company called ETC
(EnviroServices & Training Center, LLC).
I am in charge of the AMS (Asset Management System) which is GIS based
software, designed for the State of Hawaii’s Storm Water Management Program. My job is to
maintain and update databases and GIS data layers within the AMS system and
manage GPS units for inspectors that are every day conducting inspections on
the Storm Water System in Oahu. We also have school and community programs
teaching people about Storm Water which I am also involved in.
Before I moved to Hawaii
in September, I was living in Las Vegas for four years and working as a Geologist.
The first two years I worked at a Geotechnical Company drilling, building
recommendations, and GIS mapping for Site work, among other things. During the
last two years that I lived there, the economy dropped and building ceased, so
I went to work as a Geologist for an Environmental Consulting Company. This
company kept me extremely busy with Environmental drilling and mapping as well
as Geophysics work, Phase I and Phase II site assessments and reporting.
How did your USM Education prepare you for your line of work?
I acquired my degree
in Geology from USM and have been all over the world using it; from exploring
mines in the Middle East to using Geophysics to map Playa lakes on the Nevada
Test Site to Working on Active Volcanoes in Nicaragua. While
I was at USM I got involved with GIS by taking a few classes, and I was able to
apply my knowledge of GIS in Las Vegas when creating maps for clients. I have also created some site maps for a
mining company while I was in Doha, Qatar last summer. In addition to USM I
have taken a few classes in GIS from UNLV and plan on acquiring my Masters
Degree in GIS starting this Fall.
What do you like most about living and working in Hawaii?
Hawaii
is amazing! Oahu is pretty busy, and not really what you would expect if you
have never visited before. When I first visited I expected thatched roof
cottages on the beach with hammocks! Honolulu is a big city with a lot of
skyscrapers, but fortunately when I am sitting at work, the view from my desk
is of the ocean so I can’t complain! I live right in the heart of Waikiki and
even though it is very touristy and busy, it is really fun.
Experience the view from Mandy's office and her other Hawaiian pictures
Share your adventures with us, and you could be featured in our next e-newsletter!
Some
of the things I love about the Island are the people and their culture. I have
many great friends here and their theory is; work hard and play harder. The
island has a good mix of people that make me feel like I don’t really live in
the United States. The Hawaiian language and culture is pretty interesting and
its fun to learn about and participate in their culture.
There
is always something to do and the weather is beautiful year round. There are so
many hikes and sights to see as well as many different activities to get
involved in. Soccer is really big here
so there are always pickup games everyday and I have just started paddling on
an outrigger canoe team. That is something I’ve never done before and it is
really fun. It’s so nice to be out in the water paddling after work! Another great thing is when I get home from
work, I walk a block to the beach and enjoy the sunset!
Like
I said, Oahu,
which is called the “Gathering Place” is pretty busy mostly in Honolulu
and
Waikiki. There are other parts of the Island, like the North Shore,
that are beautiful
and untouched. All of the islands are very different and have a certain
individual charm. I have been to The Big Island (Hawai’i) a few times,
and have seen the
lava flowing and enjoyed a lot of Volcano hikes, which I love, because
of my
background. Kaua’i is beautiful and so untouched. It is amazing to see
the Na
Pali Coast from a boat, there are so many waterfalls.
Kaua’i’s North Shore has some of the best beaches I have ever been to. It truly
is the “Garden Island”. My favorite is Maui, the “the Valley Isle”. I recently
spent a week there and traveled the whole Island. This island has such
magnetism to it. The people are so friendly and the sights to see are amazing. There
are thousands of Humpback whales that travel there from December to April to
give birth and mate because of the warm shallow waters. To see whales breaching
everywhere, hanging out right next to you, or in my case 10 feet under the 27’
zodiac boat I was on, is a life changing experience! There is a place in Maui
called Hana which you drive a few hours alongside the ocean cliffs. Getting there has a certain magic to it. Maui
is exactly how you would picture Hawaii, and of course there is the 10,000 ft
Volcano Haleakala where I watched the sunset from way above the cloud line;
absolutely unforgettable.
Attending college in Maine to living and working in Hawaii must be a pretty big change. What is Hawaiian life like?
There is a culture
change being in Hawaii, the majority being Asian influence, and obviously many
people were born and raised here. It really is a great cultural mix. Peoples
attitudes here remind me of living in New England. The way people go about
there day is very relaxed and laid back. People are very friendly and live with
the "Aloha Spirit", meaning they would go out of there way for you even if they don’t
know you. That is also New England’s charm. I’m glad I have found that again amazingly
on the other side of the world. Another big change is realizing that I am living
on the most secluded and isolated set of islands on the planet. People always
ask if I think I will get island fever and my answer is that I don’t know, I
haven’t yet! I’m really happy here, I love island hopping if I feel I need to
go somewhere, and finally after being landlocked for four years in the Las
Vegas Desert, I am back to the ocean, just like my beautiful Maine!
Have you had time to take any sightseeing trips around the islands? if so, where?
I
have been to many places on this island. I always love it when people come to
visit from the main land and other neighboring islands because I get to show
them some of my favorite spots. There are a lot of great hiking trails to some
really amazing waterfalls, lookouts, craters, just to name a few. The North
Shore and Waimea Bay where I recently went to the Famous Eddie Aikau Surf competition
in December, looks like a Corona Commercial. There are pineapple fields all the
way from the mountains to the shore (in Hawaiian; from Mauka to Makai). The
waves get really big in the winter on The North Shore, during the surf
competition they were breaking at 40 plus feet! The east side of the Island is
probably one of my favorite spots. There is Kaneohe Bay which is beautiful,
Kailua and Lanikai beaches are really amazing and peaceful as well. I like to
get out of the city some weekends and go relax on that side of the island.
There is also Pearl Harbor. It’s amazing
to experience the history of World War II. It’s also very touching to visit the USS
Arizona and see the ship under water and realize that there are still over 1000
men on board. There are so many things I have seen in the few months I have
lived here, and all of them are special in their own way.
Any tips for visitors to Hawaii? Things not to miss?
My
tip would be to come experience Oahu and the neighboring islands! It is such a
great place here filled with Aloha! A few suggestions and my favorites on Oahu
are Pearl Harbor, Diamond Head Crater which is a great hike and view, Hanauma
Bay for really great snorkeling,
If at The North Shore, make sure to hit the fruit
stands to eat some exotic fruits, get some of the best banana bread and drink
from an ice cold coconut. If you like
shrimp, there is some really great garlic shrimp trucks up North as well. The
east side of the Island is beautiful as well as the West coast. Just drive the
entire Island and there are beautiful areas and something for everyone. Make
sure to try a Plate Lunch which is something that can be bought anywhere
usually off of a truck or on the side of the road. It’s really great to take
with you on the beach and usually consists of Kalua pork (a Hawaiian style of
underground cooking), rice and salad. It’s really cheap and very tasty.
Waikiki can not be
missed, it has great restaurants, shopping and a really fun nightlife. Downtown
Honolulu and Chinatown are really neat to visit too, and on the first Friday of
the month they close the streets and have a big street party with wine
tastings, art walks and street performers among many other things. There are
many sights to be seen on Oahu as well as all the other Islands. Memories will
be made here that will not be long since forgotten!