Introductory Portrait

Good day, sir or madam:

My name is Evan William Gretok, and I am a student of computer engineering technology at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. This digital portfolio is a collection of coursework for you to sample and peruse, primarily showcasing professional writing samples for various courses. My discipline requires highly refined skills in written and verbal communication, and I hope you will find my work from various courses in the past several years to be proof of my growing skill-set. From formal laboratory reports, to research papers, to design proposals, to thorough evaluations; the professional writing requirement for engineering is diverse and extensive.

I am deeply passionate about programming, electronics, and computer hardware. I have completed coursework in advanced mathematics, physics, and engineering principles, and programming. I have professional experience in information technology, user services, web application development, software testing, and databases. I am currently applying my knowledge and enthusiasm to data and information structures, digital electronics, advanced programming concepts, and embedded systems. I identify as a “maker,” and am deeply interested in the application of technology in solutions to everyday problems. I am detail-oriented, focusing not only on the solution, but on the presentation and refinement of that solution. I am an imaginative, hands-on forward thinker looking to continue learning and growing, wherever my career takes me.

I consider myself a student who is looking for not just a tested learning, but a knowledge and experience that is applied to reach a concrete goal and make a difference in people’s lives. I take my academic and professional pursuits very seriously, but I also acknowledge that my degree as well as any position I will serve in is not for me. I look not to boost my own prestige, but to contribute positively to a body of professionals who seek to do their best work for the sake of the customer, the public, and the world. I am committed to upholding the ethics, responsibilities, and integrity demanded by my field to the highest degree. I aim to act for the sake of others, using my experience and abilities to better my community and the lives of the people in it.

If you have any questions about myself or the material listed here, please do not hesitate to contact me using the information in my resume. Thank you for your time and consideration. Have a remarkably pleasant day.

Evan William Gretok

Student of Computer Engineering Technology

University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

A Symbiotic Proposal

During one of this week’s meetings, we discussed the process of connecting several central points to a main idea using concrete examples with language as a tool and medium.  My group and I are working to ensure that these considerations are incorporated into our proposal.  Thus far, in a proposal regarding upgrades and updates to a corporate technology ecosystem, we have targeted the primary areas of hardware, software, and economic viability and return.  Each one of these is developed into further subcategories.  For example, potential hardware upgrades include development workstations, business and general-use machines, servers, and displays.

I developed the hardware section by drawing from my unique experiences in information technology and hardware support positions.  I spent volunteered time working with the computing systems in high school, observed a server upgrade during a software development internship last summer, and have been employed in the University’s Information Technology User Services department at the IT Helpdesk for several years.  I have developed a passionate understanding of the amount of work that goes into these upgrade transitions, and I am excited to convey that knowledge in the upcoming proposal.

I suppose that is the ultimate goal.  A proposal cannot simply be an empty and static document.  It is not devoid of compromise, balance, or the essence of human intercession.  As we have discussed before, the proposal is a remarkably complex form of professional writing that is a subtle give and take between two entities.  It represents a refined construct of wills and offerings, a symbiotic connection between unrelated parts.  It represents trust and investment on behalf of both parties.  It is not only the conveyance of knowledge, but the fostering and development of a mutual understanding, the transition from abstract idea to concrete solution.  It is a representation of the differnece between customer and client.  While one requires a quick, one-time transaction, the other is an engagement in a long-term business relationship.

It is difficult to consider how difficult it would be to bring an unsolicited, wide-ranging, high-budget reform proposal to a Fortune 500 organization.  In that regard, I am happy that my group has built on a regularly occurring internal matter.  In a way I feel that we have gotten away with something.  However, our proposal still represents an essential element in the process we are considering.  I suppose this displays how versatile a medium the proposal is, how many are likely on file, and how probable it is that we will all encounter them in the future.