Meet An Intern in the
Dominion Scholarship Program
Thi U. Thach — A Passion for Helping People
There's more to engineering than specifications, equipment
or procedures. Thi Thach looks forward to working with people to develop business
solutions, and she is gaining valuable experience as a scholarship student in
the Engineering Department in Cleveland, Ohio.
"Dominion is one of the very few companies that accepts
college freshmen as interns," she said. "I was particularly interested
in the scholarship that was offered with the ten-week internship. The opportunity
was too much for me to pass up."
A Vietnam native, Thach is an electrical engineering
major at Temple University, and will graduate in 2006.
She said the scholarship and the money from the internship
is helping to pay her tuition. "However, more importantly is the
experience that I gain working in a professional environment that applies
my classroom knowledge in a real world situation."
Thach's work has included entering information into
a GIS system and locating information associated with pipeline integrity.
She also has worked with an electrical engineer to
provide some direct conversions between natural gas and electric delivery
functions.
But it was the GIS project that seemed most difficult. "It
was my first experience in dealing with the gas industry. There was much new
information to be absorbed, and it took me awhile to familiarize myself with
what has to be done and why things work the way they do."
Thach said her time at Dominion has widened her view of the
future. "By working in a utility company, Dominion has opened my eyes to
the possibilities that can await me in the gas industry. Also, through a risk
management training class, I was able to take a peek into the world of project
leaders and line managers, positions that require both people and engineering
skills.
"I believe that having 'people skills' is the most important
asset, no matter what profession one has," she added. "My experience
here in Dominion has definitely improved my people skills, which probably makes
me a better candidate for any job."
Although Thach enjoys playing piano, she also said her time
at Dominion has been great. "All I can say is that I love it here! It is
such a pleasure working with people who are always ready to help me with any
questions I may have," she said. "It is nice to come to work everyday
and know that I will learn something new that day."
Thach said she hopes to return for a second session, and recommends
Dominion's scholarship program to others. "Just give it a try and you will
love it like I did. The people are nice. The work is interesting. The experience
is valuable. What more can you ask for?"
