Mickey, Minnie and Erik Solan

When most kids visit Disney, they immediately love it – the rides, the characters, the energy, the atmosphere. But when Erik Solan (BE, ’11) first visited Disney, he didn’t just love it, he wanted to be a part of it.

Erik’s dream of working for Disney Imagineering is one of the reasons he came to Stevens, where he is majoring in Civil Engineering and minoring in Art & Technology. He says: “My goal is to be in structural design, which is a great way to combine my passion for art and my passion for building.” Another key factor for Erik’s decision to attend Stevens was the Co-op program. After attending an open interview session that Disney was holding in the area, Erik worked with the co-op office and soon became the first Stevens Disney co-op student.

During his first co-op semester, in spring 2008, Erik worked as a Monorail pilot at Walt Disney World. While there, he took classes with Disney engineers and was able to secure a professional internship through the relationships he built. Erik plans to return to Disney next month, where he will work as a structural engineer through January 2010, assessing and performing maintenance on the rides in the park. His experiences have led him to be named the Disney representative for Stevens, helping other students who are looking for internships with Disney.

In addition to his role as Disney rep, and his participation in co-op (his second co-op term, in fall 2008, was with Boswell Engineering), Erik is a member of the Verge Art Exhibition board for Art & Tech students, on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade crew, and a columnist for The Stute. Recently, Erik received an Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).

“Stevens is allowing me the opportunity to pursue my dreams,” Erik says. “Everyone here is so supportive. My professors and the faculty, plus the co-op office and the rest of the staff, all want the students to succeed here. They help us the entire way.”

Comments

[Eleanor Bigsby]

Absolutely wonderful! It's great to know that students at Stevens are this ambitious, and are involved in so many activities in and out of school

Erik is an inspiration to us all !

[ivana solan]

To all the professors, faculty, co-op office and staff, thank you for allowing Erik to pursue his dreams.

We are very proud of him but most of all we are very grateful for Stevens recognition for Erik.

Thank you,
Ivana Solan