HSI-STEM Students Earning Internships

By Lori Brunsen

ENMU’s Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) program and the HSI- STEM Grant helped students land summer internships with ONCOR. ONCOR is the sixth largest regulated electric transmission and distribution company in the United States. The company serves 10 million Texans, including residents of Dallas, Fort Worth, Midland, Odessa, Killeen, Waco, Wichita Falls and Tyler.

ONCOR offered eight students from the EET program summer internships; even better, the positions can transition into full-time, permanent positions. ONCOR selected Lance Miller, Mathew Encinias, Sean Gahan, Ricardo Hernandez, Shawn Martinez, Jon Patman, Mike Urioste and Kuuleiokealo Vonschriltz. ONCOR recruiter Alan Edwards stated, “We are amazed at the quality of ENMU students and we were fortunate to interview them.”

Students’ training began in Electronics Engineering 402, ENMU’s Renewable Energy Technology course taught by Electronics Engineering professor Dr. Hamid Allamehzadeh. “We have a strong Electronics Engineering Technology program at ENMU. We prepare students for success beyond ENMU,” says Dr. Allamehzadeh.

The internship oportunities grew out of ENMU’s HSI-STEM grant awarded in 2011 by the U. S. Department of Education. HSI-STEM stands for Hispanic- Serving Institution—Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics. To qualify as an HSI institution, Hispanic students must account for at least 25 percent of a university’s full-time equivalent students. ENMU’s grant is three-fold: (1) prepare high school students for entrance into STEM fields (2) provide undergraduate students with STEM field opportunities and (3) assist two-year institution transfer students with successful completion of their STEM degrees.

Dr. Hamid Allamehzadeh and HSI-STEM staff member Laurie Jacoby assisted in preparing EET students for their ONCOR interviews. This grant working with ENMU faculty, will prepare even more students for “STEM” success.