Bringing Surveying and Math to Life at Brewer High School
Recently, Haley Ward Project Manager and employee-owner Jeff Weeks, PLS, returned to a familiar place – his alma mater, Brewer High School – to help students see how the math they’re learning in the classroom is applied in the real world.
Jeff visited an honors pre-calculus class taught by Sean Donovan to share his career journey and introduce students to the field of land surveying. He spoke about attending the University of Maine and discovering an interest in geometry and trigonometry, and a love of the outdoors. After job shadowing a land surveyor, he found a career path that combined those interests, and he never looked back.
Today, Jeff serves as a Project Manager at Haley Ward and has been an employee-owner since 2018.
After discussing how surveyors use mathematics to measure elevations and determine the heights of buildings, trees, and other structures, it was time for the students to put their skills to work. Jeff explained how these measurements can be used on real projects, such as determining which trees may need to be removed during site development.
Armed with clipboards, a transit, and a measuring wheel, the students headed outside to measure the height of a barn behind the school. Despite a cold and gray May morning, the hands-on experience provided a welcome opportunity to get outside and apply classroom concepts in a practical setting.
Students worked together to set up the transit, carefully leveling the instrument and making adjustments until it was ready to use. Once everything was in place, they measured the horizontal distance from the transit to the barn, recorded a vertical angle, measured the height of the instrument itself, and used trigonometry to calculate the barn’s height.
Along the way, students learned an important lesson about surveying and engineering: precision is not about getting a perfect answer on the first try. “Applying what you know is the most important thing,” Jeff told the class.
The exercise demonstrated how surveyors rely on both technology and problem-solving skills to gather accurate information, while also reinforcing the value of critical thinking and teamwork.
At Haley Ward, we believe in supporting the communities where we live and work by helping students explore career opportunities and connect classroom learning to real-world applications. Whether it’s speaking to a class, participating in career days, hosting job shadows, or providing hands-on educational experiences, our employee-owners are always excited to share their knowledge and experiences. If your school, community organization, or student group is interested in learning more we’d love to hear from you.
