Santee Cooper welcomed 14 new students to the Power Associates Scholarship Program during its annual Power Associates Signing Day at the utility’s headquarters. Through the program, Santee Cooper awards scholarships to recipients pursuing a 2-year associates degree or a line technician certificate with partner colleges and provides students with hands-on experience at the utility.
“The Power Associates program pays for tuition and other school-related expenses. The program enables students to explore a career with Santee Cooper and acts as a gateway for hiring new talent,” said President and CEO Jimmy Staton. “This is the 17th year we’ve offered the Power Associates program, and each year, we’ve been impressed with the recipients’ level of talent and dedication.”
This year’s recipients from South Carolina include Austin Bridges from Moncks Corner, Riggs Carroll from Galivants Ferry, Camden Cook from Aynor, Kenneth Dixon from Hopkins, Robert Dudley from St. George, Peyton Harbeson from St. George, Joseph Hardee from Galivants Ferry, Jaquez Haynes from Varnville, Rhett Hill from Ridgeville, Byron Murray from Aiken, Steven Prioleau from Pineville, Reece Scarbrough from Goose Creek, and Fontravious Williams from Galivants Ferry. In addition, there is a recipient from North Carolina, ZaNiyah Marsh from Fayetteville.
Santee Cooper partners with Denmark and York technical colleges for their line technician program and Trident, Horry-Georgetown and Orangeburg-Calhoun technical colleges for both their two-year and line technician programs. This opportunity not only offers opportunity toward a promising career but also covers tuition fees, books and supplies, which helps eliminate financial barriers that may hinder the scholars’ educational pursuit.
Students in the two-year program are pursuing an associate’s degree in applied science while gaining experience working with generation, distribution and transmission technical groups. The 16-week line technician program gives students hands-on experience developing the skills necessary for a career as a line technician.