National Engineer Week Spotlight – Evan Stanek

Introducing Evan Stanek, our Senior Electrical Applications Engineer here at GSC. Evan became a part of our team as an Electrical Applications Engineer in August 2015 and has since advanced to his current position.

One of Evan’s favorite parts about his job is the wide variety of industries he gets to work with and the incredibly talented engineers he assists. He finds it rewarding to see a company new to the SOLIDWORKS Electrical tools get off the ground through training and startup and get the most out of their investment in GSC’s software.

Evan is part of several teams at GSC, from introducing people to the company’s tools to training, startup, and support. He also works on creating content to help GSC’s users, crossing over from marketing to sales, support, and training. Evan stated, “All of our GSC team are great to work with and really do work towards our mission of seeing our success through the eyes of our successful users.”

When asked what inspired him to become an engineer, Evan responded, “I was always very analytical and introspective, so the problem solving and creativity, taking time to digest and find the simplest solutions was and still is the most rewarding part of what I do.” Evan recalls dreaming of solutions to problems in school, and he still finds himself wrestling internally to find the best answers to his customers’ problems.

What inspires Evan outside of his professional life? Here’s what he had to share:

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?
“My dad worked as a forest ranger cause he loved to be outside. He always said the familiar but true, ‘Do what you love, and you won’t have to work a day in your life.’ Every job has challenges and grind, but I get to help people solve problems and experience tons of variety in this career, which keeps me coming back for more.”

If you could swap lives with anyone in the world for 24 hours, who would it be and why?
“Justin Jefferson, just one day where I could do the ‘griddy’ and not make a total dad fool of myself.”

What technology innovation made the most impact on your life?
“Looking at my day to day, having podcasts readily available for drives, runs, and downtime is a great way to stay in touch with my interests and the world around.”

If you could travel back to any decade, which one would you pick and why?
“I think we have it pretty good in the grand scheme of history. If I had to pick, while it was a torrid decade, the 60s and seeing the moon landing would have been an incredible experience. It’s very eye-opening to think of the problems we could solve and the perspective it gave on this special planet.”

Evan’s all-time favorites:

Movie: Lord of the Rings has stood the test of time; for a laugh, Dumb & Dumber is tops
Book: East of Eden, Hitchhiker’s Guide, CS Lewis
TV Show: Breaking Bad & Better Call Saul
Board Game: Lost Ruins of Arnak is a new favorite
Candy:  Peanut Butter M&M’s
Band/Musical Artist: Thrice, mewithoutYou
Color: Blue
Animal: Puppy!
Professional Sports Team: Vikings & Brewers