16 Header The Oregon Surveyor | Vol. 47, No. 5 Member Spotlight By Vanessa Salvia Joe Young’s path to becoming a land surveyor has been anything but typical. While growing up in Klamath Falls, Young was an athlete who wrestled, played football, and participated in track and field. Like many high school graduates, he initially had ambitions of playing college sports. However, after seeing friends return from college without much of an education to show for it, Young realized he needed to prioritize academics alongside athletics. Coming from a military family, Young was also considering joining the armed forces but wasn’t sure which branch to pursue or how to balance it with college. After high school, he took a year off to work at a local lumber mill and saved money while weighing his options. When the mill announced major layoffs, which included Young, it accelerated his decision-making process. “I had applied to Oregon Institute of Technology locally,” he explains. “They have a lot of respect in the engineering and surveying communities, with 100% job placement and salaries well above average. So, I was starting to lean towards college but still didn’t know how I would pay for it. And I still wanted to chase a military career somehow.” When he learned about an opportunity that would allow him to serve in the military while pursuing his degree, his decision was made. “Right here in Klamath Falls, we have an Air National Guard unit where you can be a reservist,” he says. “After technical training, you get the GI Bill which can pay for your education.” This perfect alignment of circumstances led Young to join the Air Force as a reservist and enroll at OIT. Joe Young, PLS 173RD Civil Engineer Squadron, Kingsley Field ANGB However, Young still hadn’t decided on a major. There are no other engineers or surveyors in his family, and in fact he is one of the first kids in his immediate family to attend college. His grandfather ran a successful excavation company, which helped lead Young to an interest in construction. “I enjoyed art and mapping from an early age, sketching and drawing out imaginary This photo was taken in 2004 with a disposable camera, near Del Loma in Northern California, while Joe was scribing bearing trees of new monuments set based off the re-surveys the year prior. Suspected fraudulent field notes from the late 1800s were confirmed as fake. Second year, but first-time unsupervised field crew chief, he says, so there may or may not be a few BTs in this remote area that were scribed vertically and not horizontally. maps,“ Young recalls. “I also liked the idea of creating something that would still be here 100 years from now and be able to look back and say I had a part in building that.” While he had considered engineering, he knew he wanted to work outdoors and not be tied to a computer all day. While browsing the course catalog, a pivotal moment occurred.
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