From left to right: Interns Juan Diaz and Iddrisu Abdul-Kardiri.
This summer, 83 college students took up internships at one of the largest power utilities in the nation during one of the busiest seasons – summer peak electricity demand!
The ComEd Internship program has played a key role in attracting and developing top STEM and business talent for a variety of roles in the company. Over the past 20 years, more than 1,700 paid internships have been extended to students from a diverse mix of colleges across the country. Of these interns, over 300 have later joined ComEd as full-time employees and many have built lasting careers at the company.
The internship program has fostered talent at all areas and levels in the company, including within our executive team, as ComEd’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Dave Perez, began his journey at ComEd as an intern while attending the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).
“In my 30 years working for ComEd, I’ve seen the industry shift and change numerous times which afforded me the opportunity to continue to grow and develop. Today, I oversee the successful operations of all of ComEd, but it all started when I took my first summer internship at the company,” said Dave. “We at ComEd are proud to offer our internship program every year to open pathways for diverse, young professionals to enter the company, ensuring we are drawing the best and brightest talent for a range of roles as we prepare ComEd and our customers for a cleaner energy future.”
Designed to inspire and engage the next generation of clean energy leaders, ComEd’s 10-week internship program provides students an inside look into the energy industry by working side-by-side with ComEd managers on projects that range from engineering solutions to maintain the nation’s most reliable grid to learning the business side of an operation employing more than 6,300 employees.
Each year, interns are engaged through three pillars:
- Creating lasting connections through meaningful mentorship and exposure to inspiring leaders
- Building energy knowledge through an immersive curriculum focused on the evolving energy landscape and the careers that power it
- Supercharging their skills with hands-on training and impactful projects
As soon as interns start at ComEd, they are given overviews of the company and energy industry, are placed in a department aligned with their degree program and are trained to work on and complete a capstone project by the end of their internship. Each project must be tied to the strategic initiatives of the company, such as the Exelon Path to Clean and ComEd 2030, helping make our strategic vision a tangible goal for interns as they connect their day-to-day work to the company’s broader purpose and goals.
“Centered on our theme ‘The Power of an Internship’, we at ComEd, strive to provide an enhanced internship experience in which interns feel as much a part of our projects as employees while picking up new skills and creating bonds with their mentors and peers,” said Maggs Wade, manager of strategic programs. “The capstone projects were developed intentionally to allow the interns to demonstrate their understanding of how their department or role contributes directly to the bigger picture of providing a cleaner energy future for our communities and customers. Here, they learn first-hand about the evolving energy industry, as well as soft, transferrable skills like communication and networking that will benefit them far into the future.”
Hailing from 50 universities and colleges, half of this year’s interns were women and nearly 70 percent were people of color. Read more about what a ComEd internship is like from a few of this year’s interns:
From left to right: Interns Oluwatomi Ogunleye, Aden Chon, Emerson Zubb, Emily Govea, Julianna Longo.
Julianna Longo, Computer Science Engineering major at the University of Michigan
“As part of the Smart Grid and Technology team, my capstone project focused on a benefit analysis of the new Bronzeville Community Microgrid by looking at things like job creation, economic growth, reliability and emissions reductions,” shared Julianna, a first-year intern at ComEd. “Working on a project with so much meaning for the community it serves and that involves technology innovation was such an enriching experience for me. Throughout my internship, I was encouraged to practice my computer science skills to automate lengthy processes, allowing me to leave my mark. I also gained other essential professional skills at ComEd like researching, communication skills and teamwork.”
Aden Chon, American Studies and Data Fluency major at Brown University
“Interning for the Customer Strategy and Governance team at ComEd allowed me to contribute to the larger puzzle that is the clean energy transition by performing work that will inform stakeholders and regulators on how specific company investments are justified and geared towards community equity and empowerment,” said Aden, a third-year intern at ComEd. “One of my biggest improvements in my professional development this year came from networking and building lasting connections with employees – much of it is thanks to the positive company culture. Every year I’m astounded by how everyone at ComEd is willing to share their time and expertise. These are connections that I will carry with me for years to come.”
Simran Mithani, Management and Human Resources major at DePaul University
“As a woman of South Asian descent, it was great seeing the high levels of ethnic diversity and lots of women in leadership roles throughout the company, especially in male-dominated fields,” said Simran, a second-year intern at ComEd. “The mentorship I received helped me connect with senior leaders at the company and taught me how to promote myself. Each day on the Workforce Development team, I felt I helped make the world a better place. The people I worked with are an amazing group of women who are passionate about helping kids and adults prepare for a better future for themselves through training and education programming. For my capstone project, I built a robot alongside student participants to showcase how offering learning opportunities for area youth makes for stronger communities.”
From left to right: Interns Claudio Amaya, Emilio Garza, Julian Porro
Throughout the program, interns receive a tour of the ComEd Chicago Training Center, hear from a panel of industry experts, connect with employee resource groups, and even have a chance to listen to advice from returning interns. At the end of their internship, each intern displays their capstone project to the company, allowing them to share their work and network with more ComEd employees. Internship applications at ComEd open every year during the fall and close before the end of the year. To learn more about the program and where to apply click here.
