Esri, the Global market leader in GIS, recently hosted the 2019 StoryMappers of the Year Contest. This competition was the first to spotlight stories created using ArcGIS StoryMaps, Esri’s second-generation storytelling app.

GIS Specialist Lillian Wang and William “Sandy” Shenck of the Delaware Geological Survey were recognized as runners-up among hundreds of competition entries for their story map, The Hunt for Delaware Boundary Monuments. Their story described monuments that had been moved, vandalized, or damaged by the elements and included a convincing case for their historical value.

Wang has been using StoryMaps since 2014, and has entered the StoryMappers of the Year Contest in the past. Feeling particularly inspired by Schenck and his stories about the boundary monuments project, Wang hoped to capture his story before his retirement.

Wang has described this recognition as a huge professional accomplishment, and knowing that others have been inspired by reading the story has been gratifying. She plans to donate the prize money to the local SPCA, and looks forward to seeing the huge impact it will have on her community.

Lillian Wang is a GIS Specialist and Cartographer at the University of Delaware