“We were all chosen to be part of this internship because we are interested in science and engineering,” said Myers Park student Emily Hudson. “Now I know I want to learn more about nuclear and electrical engineering, which I didn’t realize until now.”

The students are part of the CMS Academic Internship Program (AIP), which allows them to receive hands-on exposure to potential careers. The week-long Duke Energy internship included tours of power plants, information about energy conservation and discussions with civil, mechanical and environmental engineers.

“I’ve been interested in engineering for a few years now,” said Myers Park student Daniel Salo. “This internship was the logical next step as I refine what I want to major in when I get to college.”

This is the second year Duke Energy has offered this internship to CMS students and this year’s group is twice as large as last year’s. Leilani Bush is a workforce planning lead for Duke, and says it’s a win-win situation.

“We’re about to lose 5,800 employees in the next five to 10 years because of retirement, as well as other reasons,” she said. “Our partnership is meant to raise awareness of STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and future opportunities for careers in the energy industry.”

Daniel said the internship has really opened his eyes to possibilities for his future. “You can’t outsource power to India or China. There will always be a place for young, smart engineers to work in this field.”

CMS has offered the internship program for more than 30 years, placing nearly 600 students a year in internships. Interns may spend two afternoons a week after school at their internship site, or may participate in programs during the summer. Students may earn credit for their internship; up to one unit of credit may be counted toward graduation.

After touring the operations center, students toured an electrical substation to learn how power levels are monitored and what backup systems are in place to ensure consistent coverage across an area. They paid close attention, because later that afternoon, they got the chance to stand in for the experts during a mock storm outage situation that left 5,000 residents in the dark. Students received damage reports from the field and had to work together to decide how to prioritize the work to restore service to customers.

“I’ve learned so much,” Emily said. “Who else gets to stand on top of Lake Norman to see the turbine generators, visit the operations center, and turn the power back on for thousands of people?”

The academic internship program is open to all second-semester sophomores, as well as all juniors and seniors. Click here for more on the program.