College Ambassadors / PPL Co-operative Associates In Their Own Words...
College Ambassadors
PPL Co-operative Associates
In the News
From Co-operative Associates to Full-Time Employees
College Ambassadors
Libbey Arner
I began my summer at PPL not knowing what to expect from my first internship at a large corporation. I have been fortunate to be a part of the Back Office Team of PPL’s information technology department’s Help Center, which assists employees at all PPL locations. My team is responsible for managing all the knowledge used by our Help Center. Most of my time was spent handling internal communications, writing new articles and modifying existing articles stored in our knowledge management databases.
One of the greatest things about working at PPL is that because of its size, I have been able to meet many people across different departments who are willing to share with me their role in the corporation. I cannot imagine a better internship program than the one I have had the pleasure to be a part of this summer here at PPL. I have learned so much about myself, the Information Services Department, and the company as a whole. I am grateful to every executive, co-worker and supervisor who took the time to invest in my future and influence my experience at PPL in such a powerful way.
Co-op term: Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Virginia Tech
Major/School: Communications, Virginia Tech
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Eli Bohemond
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s an accounting major at The Pennsylvania State University, I've had many opportunities to excel and find co-operative positions all over the United States . Fortunately, I was lucky enough to come across PPL in my search for a challenging and exciting career opportunity. The company's reputation and its fun and diverse culture make for a unique experience that one can only enjoy here at PPL.
On the job, I used materials from the classroom and applied them to real-life scenarios, as well as learned new concepts that I could never be taught in a classroom setting. I made lifelong friendships with my co-workers, and built strong relationships with my co-op class. Through the co-operative program, I have been able to network with executives and see all the opportunities to move around and excel within the corporation. My last two summers with this company have been truly memorable, and I hope that I'll be given the opportunity to share my skills and work within PPL upon my graduation.
Co-op terms: Summer 2007 and 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Pennsylvania State University
Major/School: Accounting and International Studies, Pennsylvania State University
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Nathan Johnson
My time as a co-op for PPL has been a great experience. So much so, in fact, that I returned for a second summer. My supervisors planned time for me to see as much of PPL as possible. I had the chance to tour power plants with project managers, crawl into underground vaults with crews and hike lines in the field with engineers. In the office, I was kept busy with a variety of projects, all of which left me feeling that I had truly contributed to the company.
I was able to vastly increase my technical knowledge in electrical engineering while putting to use much of what I had already learned at Bucknell. Beyond technical knowledge, I learned what it’s like to be an engineer in the industry, outside of a college laboratory. Working at PPL has left me much more confident and prepared for whatever the future holds for me after school.
Co-Op Terms: Summer 2007 and 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Bucknell University
Major/School: Electrical Engineering, Bucknell University
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Courtney Phillips
Working at PPL this past summer was perhaps the most beneficial decision of my college career. Not only did the work supplement my academic interests, but the experience also helped me gain the skills needed to transition from college life into career life.
I learned about all aspects of the company, met top executives, and became part of a great work team. From what I learned working in Human Resources, I now feel confident moving forward in my professional career.
As a PPL ambassador, I look forward to helping students learn more about the company. I was amazed by how many environmental projects PPL has in its portfolio. From wind energy to nuclear power, PPL is a progressive company with a growing importance in today’s world. This opportunity has been exponentially rewarding; I cannot wait to see where it leads me next.
Co-op term: Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Pennsylvania State University (University Park and Lehigh Valley)
Major/School: Industrial Organizational Psychology, Schreyer Honors College – Penn State
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Paul Robbins
Working for PPL was a worthwhile co-op experience. Throughout my six months of co-op, PPL set me up with challenges that strengthened my engineering fundamentals and established advanced knowledge of nuclear. Both of these abilities can be applied to many branches of my career as a civil engineer.
As a civil engineering co-op at PPL, I was trusted enough to design structural members and structural components for the Susquehanna nuclear power plant. The best part of my co-op experience at PPL was the people I got to work with. I had a supervisor and many mentors, all of whom helped me in their own ways.
Co-Op Terms: Spring-Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Rochester Institute of Technology
Major/School: Civil Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology
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AnnMarie Rowland
Joining the PPL Generation Technical Services Team for the summer has been an excellent experience. Interning at PPL has been crucial to my understanding of the real-world applications of engineering.
It’s rewarding to be able to complete a project in the office knowing I used knowledge I gained inside the classroom.
I’ve interacted with professionals, all of whom were friendly and extremely helpful. I’ve done hands-on learning inside the power plants and work that is both meaningful and helpful to the department. I’ve had a fantastic summer at PPL and am grateful for the opportunity to work have worked here.
Co-Op Term: Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: University of Pittsburgh
Major/School: Mechanical Engineering & Nuclear Engineering Certificate, University of Pittsburgh
Timothy Wallenhorst
Coming to PPL going into my senior year, I was surprised by how well the co-op program was set up. I worked as both a general co-op and also for the Marketing Department of PPL EnergyPlus. It is truly red carpet treatment. I gained valuable insight from seasoned Marketing staff on confidential and cutting-edge projects, and I learned how the company is run from the leaders of PPL at our weekly co-op networking events. Most importantly to me, I helped my department by working on meaningful assignments that made me stretch my problem-solving abilities and apply what I learned in school, and I made many friends in the process. I found the summer to be both productive and fun. It’s really a great environment, and I’d do it again if I had the chance.
Co-Op Term: Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Rochester Institute of Technology
Majors/ School: Finance and Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology
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Lucas Zmroczek
Working at PPL was my first experience with a real job, so I did not know what to expect. I had a very limited idea of how a large energy company like PPL operates, and had even less knowledge about what I would be working on as a member of the Distribution Planning department of PPL Electric Utilities.
Despite my lack of prior experience and limited relevant coursework, I was mentored by my willing and knowledgeable co-workers into becoming a functioning and educated employee after only a week of transition. After starting work, I came to grasp the amazing service the corporation provides to its customers, and I was accepted into PPL’s working family.
As I learned about real-life engineering, I soon became more comfortable and started to enjoy my work. By my second week, I already began work on real projects. I aided in the research and analysis of data required to make a large financial decision for the company. I learned a lot during my employment at PPL and realized the company has a lot to offer, including education, responsibility and interaction.
It was eye-opening and intriguing to see how engineers work and apply their educations, while seeing the business behind the scenes. I also feel like I returned some of the benefits that PPL gave me, by making an impact on the company and providing work that will affect and bolster the continuing success of PPL in the future. I now feel ready to confront any future employment or educational challenges I may face because of the insight and experiences I gained from PPL.
Co-Op Term: Summer 2008
PPL Campus Ambassador: Lafayette College
Majors/School: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Lafayette College
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In the News. . .
PPL's Co-Op Program: A foundation for the future
PPL's co-op program provides students with experiences they can build on - just ask Jonathan Tillson. Tillson was a 2006 summer co-op in Asset Operations Management of PPL Electric Utilities.
Jonathan Tillson
With his supervisor, Phil Weber, system maintenance engineer in Distribution Operations, Tillson wrote an article, "Trim Cycles Influence Reliability and Cost," which has been published in the July issue of Transmission and Distribution World, an industry trade journal.
"Working at PPL was a great experience for me," Tillson said. "It was actually my first chance to do real engineering outside of school. After the internship ended, I kept in touch with my supervisor, and I had a great time writing the article with him."
Weber said the company tries to give co-ops a variety of challenging experiences under different supervisors to give them as much exposure within Electric Utilities as possible.
"These are real assignments, not 'make work,' " Weber said. "It's my expectation that co-op students earn their paychecks by making concrete contributions to EU during their stay with us."
Weber's assignment for Tillson, under the day-to-day guidance of Ephram Glass, an engineer in Distribution Operations, resulted in tree-trimming guidelines for Electric Utilities. Ephram also assumed the role of Jonathan's coach to ensure his transition from student to corporate life was smooth.
"When I first contemplated being an intern at a utility, I feared that the skills I would obtain would not be transferable to other jobs," Tillson said. "My fear was unfounded. I learned how to approach problems like an engineer. This is something I will apply everywhere."
The purpose of PPL's co-op program is to introduce qualified students to the company with an eye toward determining if these students would be good hires upon their graduation.
"PPL's co-op program is unique and exciting," Tillson said. "The diverse work I did and the breadth of technology and concepts I was exposed to made my experience both fun and interesting.
"Through that program I became aware of how much this company values its present and future employees," he said.
Tillson received a Bachelor of Science degree in integrated business and electrical engineering in May from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. His strong academic performance earned him the designation of presidential scholar, which allows him to attend an additional year at Lehigh without charge. He is pursuing a master's degree in analytical finance.
"I hope that upon completion of his master's degree, Jonathan will consider PPL," Weber said.
Co-op terms: Summer 2006 and 2007
PPL Campus Ambassador: Georgia Institute of Technology
Major/School: Nuclear and Radiological Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
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From Co-operative Associates to Full-Time Employees. . .
Meghan L. Smigo
I was not sure what to expect at the start of the internship and was definitely very excited and a little nervous. Although my nervousness faded away my first day as my supervisor and co-workers were very welcoming and treated me as a colleague, assigning tasks and audit work that mirrored their own projects.
The co-op position also exposed me to international areas with the subsidiary companies that PPL conducts business with, which allowed me to utilize my Spanish-speaking skills and really provided a strong foundation on the corporate experience.
Directly relating to my degrees of Spanish and political science from the University of Rhode Island, I was offered a position within PPL Global as compliance coordinator. The transition from college to the working environment was extremely fluid due to the amazing internship I experienced and the great people and integrity of PPL.
Compliance Coordinator, PPL Global
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Danny Jarrah
My internship at PPL provided me with the opportunity to step into a prestigious company and become a design engineer after graduation from Penn State University with a degree in electric engineering. I was given challenging problems and meaningful jobs providing solutions for customers and gaining hands-on field experiences. It's my belief that a cooperative, interactive, educational experience is essential for a college student's future.
Engineer, Transmission Design
PPL Electric Utilities
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Renee Garin
My co-op experience provided me with an extremely valuable opportunity to see how many different aspects of the company come together in order to make the company work as a whole. I learned so much, and it complimented my course work at Moravian College, where I obtained my B.A. degree in economics-finance. The great co-op experience prepared me for a career at PPL.
Accountant, PPL Cash Management Group
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Lee Comstock
My co-op experience at PPL allowed me the opportunity to apply my classroom knowledge to real-world applications. I completed two co-op blocks at the PPL Susquehanna nuclear power plant, the first one in Station Engineering, and the second in Site Design engineering. Being a mechanical engineer, I got to see actual large power plant equipment such as heat exchangers, centrifugal pumps, compressors and various types of valves rather than textbook drawings or pictures. Both co-ops provided me with meaningful and challenging work that I took pride in. After graduation I have decided to continue my career at PPL Susquehanna in the Site Design engineering group.
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