Member Spotlight: Stephanie Pasowicz
We've brought back the Member Spotlight series so we can all get to know each other better. Do you know a WLIA colleague that you think people should know? Let us know at communications@wlia.org and send us their contact information. We may not get to everyone, but we'll try!
Introducing Stephanie Pasowicz, a Geospatial Analyst at Xcel Energy for the past year and a half, and a recipient of the 2024 WLIA Emerging Leader award. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, Stephanie landed a contract position that eventually turned into a full-time role with Xcel Energy. Since then, she has thrived on creating useful map products that benefit both employees and customers and meeting tight deadlines with the same agility and coordination that once made her a double-dutch pro back in the day. Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys painting and spending time with family and friends. In our interview, she shares insights into her journey in GIS and what inspires her beyond the office. Keep reading to learn more about her story!
How did you come to your current profession or job? 
Fresh after graduating college, I was looking for any GIS job in the Eau Claire – Twin Cities area. I came across this contract position in Eau Claire with a company I had never heard of, but I figured it couldn’t hurt to apply and see what happens. The contracting company eventually told me the position was for contract GIS work with Xcel Energy. I interviewed and got the job; I was eager to start and happy to have a job with a great company, but really wanted to secure that Xcel Energy employee status. Less than a year after starting the contract position, an Xcel employee position in Eau Claire became available, and the rest is history!
What’s your most favorite part and least favorite part of your job?
My favorite part of my job is getting to create useful map products that benefit many people and really explain the objective of the project. It is really fulfilling to be able to do something I genuinely enjoy that will also help not only other employees, but our customers too.
My least favorite part of my job would be when I get a request with a short deadline. It is ideal to have the time needed to ensure that the product I am creating is as perfect as I can make it to be, but when there is a short turnaround window, that can be difficult to do.
What’s the best advice someone has ever given you?
The best advice someone has given me is “Everything will work out how it is supposed to”. I find that even when things don’t go to plan in the moment, whenever I look back and think about how that situation shaped me, I realize that I spent too much time worrying when it worked out exactly how I wanted. If the situation didn’t play out how I had hoped, I find that there was a reason it happened the way it did as it led me to who and where I am today.
What do you like to do for fun? (Hobbies, volunteer work, etc)
I just enjoy spending time with my family and friends. It doesn’t matter if we are just sitting around doing nothing or doing something engaging, surrounding myself with the people I love and feel safe with has always been my favorite past time. Some other pastimes I enjoy are painting, going for bike rides or rollerblading in the summer, and binge-watching shows at home with my cats.
Oh, any good show recommendations you have that you’ve been recently into or an all-time favorite series that you don’t mind sharing? What about your cats? What are their names, and do they have any strong preferences?
I love unwinding from the day by watching Impractical Jokers and having a few laughs. Otherwise I enjoy documentaries and sitcoms. I am a life-hard Friends fan.
My cats’ names are Cashew and Coconut – they are brothers and keep me entertained with their constant playing and cuddling. They are large cats and definitely think that they rule the house.
What kind of things do you like to paint and what medium do you prefer?
I like to paint nature, but in the last few years the pieces I have made were gifts for family and friend, so sometimes I will paint something that I know they like besides nature. I typically will use acrylic paints and have a collection of canvases I bought on sale, waiting to be used.
What’s something most people wouldn’t guess about you?
My childhood friends and I were crazy about double dutch and we were actually quite good at it. I don’t think that I could “jump” back into it like I used to, but we always used to say that we should try to get into a professional league.
Was there a record that you can remember you guys had set for your personal best? When was the last time you got back in the rope?
Thinking back, we just tried to go as long as we could. I would guess we were eventually good enough to go about 3 – 4 minutes before tiring out and without messing up. I haven’t double dutched since high school, but think it would be cool if I could teach my nieces and nephews someday.
Where would you most like to travel to and why?
For the longest time I would say Australia, which I would still love to travel to, but I would be terrified of the massive bugs there! So, now I would say I would most like to visit somewhere with a rich culture, maybe Barcelona, Paris, or Rome. Hard to choose.