Ryan Engstrom

Staff Engineer

Sioux Falls

What makes you enjoy working at Banner? The culture is very supportive. No question is a bad question, and everyone is willing to help you learn. I also like how family-oriented and genuine the culture is. Sitting at a desk all day can get boring, so being able to crack jokes with coworkers while still getting work done makes the day more enjoyable.

Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now? Two of my grandfathers were engineers. One was an electrical engineer for Lockheed Martin, and the other was a Civil Engineer in Rochester. As I was going through high school, I was naturally good at math, so I figured why not become an engineer? I also have a passion for being outdoors, and when I talked with my grandfather, he told me that becoming a civil engineer definitely allows you to be outside more than most of the other disciplines, while also being able to be inside on some of the bad weather days, and that’s when I knew I wanted to become a civil engineer.

Who inspires you to be better? My Grandpa John. He signed up for the Navy in Vietnam, which took a lot of courage, worked as hard as he could to provide for his family, and also made sure he was always there for them to support them. He volunteers at church and will still give the shirt off his back to anyone who needs it. I watch him and my grandma after 50+ years of marriage and they still look like teenagers in love. I strive to be like my Grandpa.

If you owned a restaurant, what kind of food would it serve? I like myself a nice, juicy burger, so it would have to be a burger/bar-and-grill type place where you know you are getting the best burger around. I would have some quite interesting ones too! I love to experiment.

What makes a good life? A full one. Full of memories, full of family and friends, full of kids and a wife, and full of God.