POWERGRAMS

As a result of attending Alabama Power's recent Engineering Day (E-Day), Jamaya Philips is taking a hard look at her future. "It was an interesting program," the Parker High School 11th- grader said. "I am thinking twice about what I want to do. I wanted to be a veterinarian, but I'm open to change after seeing this program." Jean Coker agreed that E-Day can be an eye-opener, particularly for teenage girls. "I tell the females you can have kids and a family," said Coker, a Pelham High School math teacher who was an engineer for 17 years before moving into education. "When I started in engineering, they didn't make it easy to continue working in the profession and have a family. It was difficult to balance it all then. But here, females are not limited, and I really appreciate that." About 100 juniors and seniors from 13 Birmingham-area schools turned out for Alabama Power's seventh annual E-Day. Part of the LEAP (Learning Engineering and Applying Principles) High School Outreach Program, the event is designed to give students an inside look at a "day in the life of an engineer." The goal, said Derrick Cherry, is to use hands-on activities and informative presentations to motivate students to consider engineering as a career. "We try to emphasize that you don't have to be a genius in math to be an engineer," said Cherry, Transmission Planning engineer. "But if you work hard, have good interpersonal skills and want to learn, you can get through the engineering program. "We want the students to understand that while engineering is challenging, it gives them a flexible career path," said Cherry, who has helped coordinate E-Day the past five years. The students alternately attended four breakout sessions. In one session, Human Resources employees facilitated a career- planning presentation, focusing on topics such as communication, social media do's and don'ts, job interviewing, college engineering curriculum, and intern and cooperative opportunities at Alabama Power. In another, they watched Safe-T-Opolis, which uses an electrically charged model of a neighborhood to teach safe practices around power lines. They toured Alabama Power's Storm Center and learned how it transitions into high gear, becoming the heartbeat for restoration efforts following hurricanes, tornadoes, ice storms and other severe weather. Finally, four hands-on activities gave students the opportunity to practice basic engineering principles. For instance, to show how communication and engineering work hand-in-hand, the students used Legos to build a car. The catch was that while some of the students were given Lego pieces, others were required to use the directions to explain how to put those pieces together without looking at their partners. "Through this exercise, we're making the point that soft skills like communication are important," said Protection and Control Field Services Team Leader Charles Miles. "The same engineer who builds a substation is not the same one who designs it. One engineer may have to call the other for clarification or if changes are needed, which means they must have open lines of communication." During lunch, students took part in a career fair. Representatives from the University of Alabama, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama at Huntsville and the University of Alabama at Birmingham hosted booths providing information about their campus, curricula and scholarships. The day wrapped up with "A Minute to Win It," a fun teambuilding competition based on the television game show. The students were divided into groups and charged with completing a task in 1 minute. The winner was the first group that accomplished the goal. "It meant a lot to me to see the faces of the students when their idea worked and how that boosted their confidence and morale," said Lakevia Bibb, engineer, Transmission Project Management and Customer Service, and E-Day coordinator. High schools at E-Day included Carver, Homewood, Huffman, Jackson-Olin, Oak Mountain, Parker, Pelham, Ramsay, Sylacauga, Thompson, Wenonah, Woodlawn and Gadsden. "Students have told me that E-Day here at Alabama Power is more helpful than similar programs at colleges," said Sheri Humphrey, Oak Mountain High School physics teacher and a former engineer. Miles said the ultimate aim was to help dispel students' stereotypical image of engineers with their eyes glued to the computer, studying diagrams and working with figures. "These kids want to make a difference," Miles said. "That's what engineers do – we are hands-on and we make a difference using the principles of math and science." By Carla Davis Students discover options at seventh annual E-Day EDUCATION About 100 high school juniors and seniors joined Alabama Power engineers at conference. 4 Photos by Christopher Jones

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