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SECO Energy Announces 2023 Energy Scholarship Awardees

SECO Energy has announced its 2023 SECO Energy Scholarship Awardees. Each of the seven scholarship awardees will receive $3,000 to advance their education. SECO Energy’s scholarship program targets local students intending to prepare for a career in the energy industry. 

 

SECO Energy Scholarships are awarded to high school seniors graduating in May or June of the current year. A primary qualification to receive an award is residence in a home served by SECO Energy. The awardee must enroll as a full-time student in an accredited Florida college, university, or trade school before the end of 2023. The degree objective or electric-industry-related certification must demonstrate a commitment to pursuing a career in the energy field. The core studies would focus on technology, engineering, math, or business and would ultimately lead to a career in the energy industry, possibly SECO Energy.

 

The 2023 SECO Energy Scholarship awardees are:  

 

Tanner Copen – Leesburg High School 

Lauren Ashley Mickens – Lake Minneola High School 

Broc Kinley – South Sumter High School 

Grace Flynn – South Lake High School 

Imani Linzy – Lake Weir High School 

Andrew Collins – The Villages Charter High School 

Grant David – Tavares High School 

 

2023 SECO Energy Scholarship Awardees Congratulated

SECO Energy CEO Curtis Wynn congratulates 2023 SECO Energy Scholarship winners
SECO Energy CEO Curtis Wynn

SECO Energy Chief Executive Officer Curtis Wynn congratulated the 2023 SECO Energy Scholarship recipients. Mr. Wynn stated, “It is refreshing to see students committing themselves to an education that could launch a career in the energy industry. There are countless opportunities ahead for these scholars to play important roles in energy, from generation to transmission to management. The path they are choosing can provide a lifetime of personal satisfaction, financial security, and pride, knowing the contributions they make positively impact local communities, regions, and even our country.”  

 

Wynn continued, “We hope these seven awardees attain their goals, and as SECO Energy supports the start of their educational objectives, we hope they will consider joining SECO when they begin their energy industry career. SECO is growing rapidly, and we will continue to be a leading employer in our region. Our compensation and benefits package, which includes comprehensive medical and dental insurance, generous paid time off, 401k with company matching contributions, employee-referral program, remote work options for certain positions and student loan reimbursement are competitive in any market. So, when it’s time to come home from your university or technical school and get to work, make SECO Energy your first call.” 

 

SECO Energy is hiring! To view open positions, set up job alerts and submit an application online, visit SECO Energy Careers. 

 

“Like” SECO Energy on Facebook and follow @SECOEnergy on Twitter for prize drawings, news releases, and severe weather alerts affecting SECO Energy’s service territory. Manage your outage notification preferences at StormCenter. To see when SECO Energy crews/contractors are working, visit SECO’s new System Improvement map. To learn more about SECO Energy as a not-for-profit cooperative, visit About SECO Energy. 

SECO Supports Youth Energy Academy STEM Focus

On June 14 and 15, local energy experts teamed up to provide high school students a real-life glimpse into the many careers in the electric utility industry. SECO Energy, Duke Energy and Ocala Electric Utilities partnered to bring the Fourth Annual Youth Energy Academy to life for more than fifty students in Marion County. The event was held at the College of Central Florida’s Hampton Center.

 

In conjunction with employees from the three electric utility providers, representatives from several other companies (College of Central Florida, Boys & Girls Club, CLM CareerSource, Lockheed Martin and DeConna Ice Cream) volunteered, presented or provided support. With a limited workforce, the business community understands the premise of investing in today’s youth to develop future leaders and foster diversity.

 

Kathy Judkins, SECO Energy’s Deputy Director of Civic, Charitable and Government Affairs stated, “SECO Energy, Duke Energy and Ocala Electric Utilities have formed a strong partnership in the quest to develop a talent pipeline of local students for the energy industry. At this year’s Academy, students had the opportunity to gain essential knowledge related to the array of jobs, careers and occupational requirements in the energy field.”

 

The two-day event was jam-packed with activities that ranged from learning how electricity travels from the generation plant to homes and what it takes to restore power during an outage to a hands-on live demonstration provided by Duke Energy’s Ronnie Bailey and Moise Graham. Students learned the difference between soft and hard skills via a presentation from Heaven Colon, CLM CareerSource. The students then explored high-skill, high-wage careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) by taking a closer look at robotics. They met Forest High School EMIT program students – EMIT stands for Engineering and Manufacturing Institute of Technology.

 

Youth participants also learned about one of the fastest growing jobs in the industry – the Substation/Relay Tech position – from SECO Energy Manager Transmission and Substation Design Kenny Rodrigue and Environmental & Project Supervisor Ron Summers. Participants built solar cars to test in the sun, and found out that solar panels receive enough energy to power the cars to move when the sun is not shining.

 

The activities didn’t end there. On day two, the students toured the City of Ocala water treatment plant with Rachel Slocumb, Division Coordinator. Utilities Director Mike Poucher showed students what can occur while texting and driving through a demonstration of a pole versus car accident scene that included how to safely exit a vehicle. Participants also rode in bucket trucks and learned about Ocala’s fiber-optic internet system. Watch video clips of this year’s Youth Academy highlights at SECO Energy’s YouTube channel.

 

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEjIr13Vjac[/embedyt]

 

SECO Energy CEO Jim Duncan stated, “The Youth Academy aligns with two key cooperative principles – Education, Training and Information and also Concern for Community. The energy field offers a multitude of diverse careers just waiting for talented candidates to apply. Participating in youth education programs gives SECO a hand in crafting its future workforce and offers local, talented youngsters employment opportunities close to home and family.”

 

Six years ago, the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE) incorporated a Youth Energy Academy model focused on, but not limited to, minority students in St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Orlando and Ocala. “AABE’s goal is to spark the interest of the emerging workforce by educating young people about opportunities in the energy arena. With over 240 Marion County students going though this academy so far, we believe we will see a few of them working in the energy industry,” stated AABE Florida Chapter President Mikle Gordon. The AABE Florida Chapter is lead by members from six energy providers, as well as a number of entrepreneurs and business partners.

 

Learn more about SECO Energy and its Concern for Community online. “Like” SECO’s Facebook page and “follow” @SECOEnergy on Twitter for news releases and cooperative updates.