Keeli GUSTAFSON Denfeld student takes top prize in mapping competition

BY ANDREA BUSCHE

PHOTOGRAPHY BY AYLA ANDROSKY

With each passing year, more women are entering the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Often, their interest in these areas begins in their formative years, with the encouragement of parents and other mentors.

Keeli Gustafson is one such young woman. A Duluth Denfeld student entering her senior year, she recently took home a national prize for the ArcGIS online mapping competition. As a result of Gustafson’s big win, she was scheduled to present her award-winning entry in July at the 2018 Esri Education Summit in San Diego.

Sponsored by Esri (the Environmental Systems Research Institute), the competition was open to middle and high school students in the U.S. who could successfully analyze, interpret and present data via an ArcGIS Online web app or story map.

The Esri website provides some interesting demographics: In 2018, competitors came from 28 states. Of the 306 total submissions, one-third came from Minnesota.

Gustafson became aware of the competition through her Advanced Placement world history class. “I originally got involved through an extra credit project in my sophomore year,” she said. “However, what started as a simple mapping project grew into a passion for sharing the history of my town, and my project quickly grew more complex as I became more interested in it.”

Gina Hollinday, Gustafson’s history teacher at Denfeld, acted as her mentor and adviser.

“GIS stands for Geographic Information System,” Gustafson said. “It is a geography-based system that deals with gathering, using and analyzing data.” She shared that this system requires computer savvy, research skills and knowledge of the analytical features available within GIS.

“GIS Mapping uses computer-based analysis to address questions in fields such as historical and environmental research,” she said. “My project was created by using ArcGIS Online, a completely cloud-based system which allows users to edit their projects from any computer with internet access.”

Gustafson’s award-winning presentation focuses on Duluth’s Morgan Park neighborhood. “I focused on Morgan Park because I was able to combine my passion for history with geographical change, and share a story that I feel needs to be told within my community,” she said. “Also, I have lived in West Duluth my whole life, and I thought it would be fun to research a topic that was a very much a part of the community I consider my home.”

Gustafson’s presentation won top honors at both the state and national levels. She shared her thoughts on what made her submission successful.

“I think my project was successful because of the way it combined the technological aspects of GIS with the historical elements of Morgan Park. I really tried to make insightful connections between the industrial origins of the area, the community’s growth during the 20th century, the environmental concerns and challenges that we respond to and deal with today.”

Gustafson explained the specifics of her submission. “The presentation consists mainly of what is called a story map, featuring text alongside with visuals, such as photographs and maps. My story map covers Morgan Park, specifically the relationship between the neighborhood and the U.S. Steel plant. The town and plant have a complex interdependent relationship, which I came to appreciate as I explored this history. In the beginning, the story map took precedence. I then added new maps, which were more focused on the environmental and geographical change of the area.”

Gustafson created five maps for this project:

A reference map of the plant’s location

• A map of the plant’s environmental impacts on the water table through contaminated water flow

• A georeference map of the plant in 1948 and today, showing the change in the Mud Lake area

• A map showing the geological change and its effects on the area’s wetlands, and

• A map of the Native American historical site, Spirit Lake, and how it was impacted by contaminants from the plant.

Gustafson is active in a variety of organizations, including the Denfeld girls’ swim team, speech team, key club, National Honor Society, concert band, pep band and band board student government. She will be team captain for the swim and speech teams this year. When asked which was her favorite, Gustafson said, “I don’t know if I can choose a favorite, but I appreciate that GIS mapping challenges me in different ways than the other activities.”

When she’s not in school, Gustafson enjoys reading and swimming. She is a member of the Lutheran Youth Organization Board and sings with the choir at Grace Lutheran Church. She also works as a lifeguard for Duluth’s Lake Superior Swim Club.

After graduating from Denfeld next spring, Gustafson plans to attend college. While she is still figuring out the details, one thing is for certain: she plans to focus her efforts in a STEM-related field. “In terms of what I will study, I think it’s probable that technical and computer skills, such as the ones involved in GIS mapping, will play a role in my future career,” she said.

Gustafson’s family, including her mother, Tammi; father, Don; and older sister, Kali; are supportive of her endeavors.

“We are very proud of Keeli’s accomplishments in the ArcGIS mapping contest and all of her other activities,” Tammi said. “Whether it’s on the speech team, the swim team, or in her academic projects, she always strives to produce her best work.”

Gustafson’s hard work has paid off, and she is pleased with the results. “There were so many incredible submissions, and winning the Minnesota state contest was thrilling,” she said. “I never imagined that I would win the national contest. The whole experience has been amazing. Even if I had not placed, I would have been proud of my project and the work that I put into it.” —

MDT