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• 2018 NATIONAL ENGINEERS WEEK, MEET OUR GK & UPI ENGINEERS

In honor of National Engineers Week, meet some of our GK & UPI Engineers! 

FEBRUARY 18 - 24, 2018

CORY, GK ENGINEER

Why did you decide to become an engineer? 

  "Unfortunately I didn’t always know I wanted to be an engineer. While most kids were outside playing with their toys, I was busy taking them apart to see how they worked. No matter what it was, if it was broken, I would try to fix it. As I grew up, this small hobby turned into working on cars, boats, D.I.Y. projects, just about anything that involved using my hands. I always felt proud when I could say I built this, or I fixed this for half the price a professional would. It wasn’t until a couple years after high school that a friend saw some of the things I had done, and told me I should be an engineer. After I heard that, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I dropped everything I had previously done in college, and devoted myself to engineering. It was the best decision I made as a young adult, and I wish I would have realized it sooner."

 What’s something you enjoy about being an engineer? 

            "The thing I enjoy most about being an engineer, is the constant challenge. Almost every day, we are faced with new challenges that forces us to think outside the box and use tools that other engineers might not have thought to use. Much like technology, engineering is a constantly changing field making it that much more exciting."

 What is a challenging part of being an engineer? 

            "One of the biggest challenges as an engineer, is walking the line between ingenuity and common practice. As problems arise, engineers must constantly ask themselves if they should work on a solution that is completely new and different, or if they should do what past engineers have been doing for decades. Sometimes the answer is very clear, but other times it is not."

CORYANN, GK ENGINEER

Why did you decide to become an engineer? 

"I first discovered Engineering in high school when I had to choose a major. After exploring the different options, I thought Engineering was themost interesting. I really enjoyed my classes, and decided to further pursue Engineering in college. Having the opportunity to work in the fieldwhile I continued my studies sealed the deal for me – I knew for sure this was what I wanted to do."

 What’s something you enjoy about being an engineer? 

"I enjoy constantly learning new things, and being able to apply my skills to a variety of different projects and technical areas. I love challenges and solving new problems (or in some cases, improving on or finding a new solution to an old one). It's a great feeling when you get to see your ideas go from paper to physical structures and working systems."

 What is a challenging part of being an engineer? 

"There is constant change, development, and technological advances to keep up with to stay on top of your game. There are also always new problems to solve. That is really the best part – it keeps you on your toes, and it never gets boring."

EDUARDO, UPI ENGINEER  

Why did you decide to become an engineer? 

"Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a passion for math, science, and construction. As I progressed through school I learned more and more about math and science and the things I could design and build were getting more and more complex. I quickly realized that what I was doing was essentially engineering and I decided that a profession in what I loved to do was the way to go."

What’s something you enjoy about being an engineer? 

"As perplexing as it may seem, the one thing I love the most about engineering is finding a problem, whether it’s a math problem or a work task, I can’t solve right away. I love the challenge of going in the internet and/or books to look for that one piece of information I need in order to solve my problem at hand."

What is a challenging part of being an engineer? 

"For me, a challenging part of being an engineer is accepting that I will never fully grasp engineering as a whole. There are so many different concentrations and specialties that fully mastering all of them is close to impossible. That is why I have to accept that part of being an engineer is knowing what you don’t know and getting good at what you do know."

KEN, GK ENGINEER 

Why did you decide to become an engineer? 

"I became an engineer because I enjoyed the creativity and pride that I felt from producing drawing packages on the drafting board. Yes, I said drafting board, back in the day computers were not around and all drawings were made on a board with pencil, paper and the other tools of the trade. I originally went to school to get a degree in Architectural Drafting, but the road eventually took me in this direction and I have now been working in the paint finishing industry for 35 years."

What’s something you enjoy about being an engineer? 

"As engineers, we are always working on an item that is either completely new or an improvement on something done previously. At GK, engineers are a part of the project from start to finish. We assist in the procurement and installation of the project in addition to completing the actual engineering and design of the system."

What is a challenging part of being an engineer? 

"Because the specifications, scopes and processes are constantly evolving you have to always be ready for change. From one project to the next there are always improvements, lessons learned and changing technology that ensure that you cannot simply copy what was created before. You constantly have to be focused and keep that creative side of your brain wide open and ready for the challenges that are always right around the corner."

 CORY, UPI ENGINEER

Why did you decide to become an engineer? 

"I chose to pursue a career in engineering because the world’s infrastructure is constantly changing, and it takes creative minds to keep the our systems in line and adaptable for tomorrow’s world. I think my mind is just creative enough to help the cause."

What’s something you enjoy about being an engineer? 

"I enjoy seeing a project go from drawings on a page, to the raw materials being constructed, to seeing the final product in operation. Knowing that I had a small part to play in this process is what keeps me coming back for more. My goal each day is to contribute a larger piece of the puzzle with each project."

What is a challenging part of being an engineer? 

"Answering questions like these! The biggest challenge I face on a daily basis is maintaining communication amongst all parties during all phases of the project. Communication is key to success."