Meet Casey Grothus | SketchUp Instructor & Computer Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey Grothus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
These days, I am enjoying a lot of different computer games but in the past, I loved going to lunch with Coworkers. I have not been able to see my coworkers in person for over a year now due to COVID-19 and I really miss them. We talk via email but that is not the same as a face to face interaction. I miss talking about more casual topics like movies or books. With email we tend to be more work focused and as a result, we don’t connect with one another as easily. Once COVID-19 is over, I plan on treating the entire team I work with to lunch somewhere so we can catch up on topics that have nothing to do with work.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started learning a lot about SketchUp as a teenager thanks to Barry, Chris, Tom and Bryn. At the time, SketchUp did not have a free version, so the only way to get a copy was to pay a lot more money than I could afford as a teenager but thanks to them, I was able to get a free copy to learn with. They also offered me lessons on it so I did not have to figure everything out on my own.

As a result of that I was able to develop my skills over a number of years and that eventually led me to an internship. That internship eventually turned into a full time position and now I can spend my time teaching classes to kids on how to use SketchUp.

When I say that the kindness of a few good people literally changed my life, I am not exaggerating. Just a few people that got me a copy of their software and set aside an hour or two every quarter to help me out literally sparked my interest in 3D modeling and set me on a path that would let me become a high tech worker rather than a minimum wage one.

We all have the potential to make a big difference in each other’s lives if we are kind.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Great question. I live in a small town called Niwot, about an hour away from Denver so I don’t get to the big city very often but I do have a few recommendations in Denver as well as Boulder. Niwot is a little too small to really have something big to see though.

I would recommend seeing the aquarium in Denver as it is a really nice one. My sister is a big fan of aquariums so I have been to a lot of them but the one in Denver always makes it into my top 3 that I have been to. If you are looking for something a little more unique though, I would recommend a tour of the Denver mint. We handle money every day and seeing where it is made is a pretty neat experience. I would also recommend the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, especially if they have a traveling exhibit that sounds interesting to you.

If you are in the Boulder area, Pearl Street Mall is worth seeing if you like to shop and if you are looking for something unique, I highly recommend a visit to NOAA for a tour and the Banjo Billy Bus Tour is neat too. If you are looking for something a little closer to nature, there are a lot of good hiking trails.

Naturally, no visit to the area is complete without a visit to the Rocky Mountain National Park.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Barry Janzen, Chris Cronin Tom Wyman and Bryn Fosburgh all deserve a shout out for all the mentoring and guidance they gave me and continue to give me to this day. Without them I would likely be working a minimum wage job somewhere, but thanks to them, I was able to pursue a high tech job.

Image Credits
Hopefully some of the photos are in line with what you are looking for. If they are not, please feel free to email me and I can see if I can find some better ones that are more in line with your needs.