MetCom Provides College Students with On-the-Job Experience

CALIFORNIA, Md. (August 01, 2017)—The Metropolitan Commission (MetCom) provides public water and sewer services to St. Mary's County. What may not be known is that MetCom also maintains a paid internship program to assist college students. According to George Erichsen, Executive Director of MetCom, these programs help students gain industry knowledge they may not learn anywhere else. It also provides the students with real, meaningful work that they can use on their resumes. Interns can bring the organization fresh, new ideas and perspectives. In some cases, an internship can lead to being hired as a full time employee.

"I was fortunate to be a part of a similar Cooperative Education Program when I was a student at Virginia Tech and it was instrumental in helping me decide which career direction I wanted to pursue during my undergraduate studies," noted Erichsen.

The most recent interns include Daniel Pratson, Glen Havens, Seth Harding, Benjamin Richardson, and Haley Copen.

While enrolled at St. Mary's College of Maryland, Daniel Pratson began his internship with MetCom. Upon graduation and completion of his Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies/Biology, he was hired by MetCom as a Laboratory Technician. Daniel recently left MetCom to attend the College of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech and will be working towards obtaining a Master of Science degree with a focus in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management. Daniel said of his internship, "Working as an intern with MetCom was an excellent experience that helped me navigate my transition between college and the 'real world'. I was able to learn more about public water utilities than I ever would have imagined, met great coworkers, and the professional setting was beneficial in preparing me for my next career step."

Glen Havens has been working at MetCom as a student intern since February, 2016. He is currently a college student at St. Mary's College of Maryland, majoring in Environmental Science. He is expected to graduate in December, 2017 and has high hopes of becoming a fulltime MetCom employee. Glen said, "My internship at MetCom has greatly enhanced my knowledge of a working laboratory and its procedures. I've furthered myself by making some excellent professional connections within the organization. I have enjoyed learning about water quality, a career field that I am very interested in."

Seth Harding joined the MetCom team as a Laboratory Intern. Seth attends Salisbury State University where he is currently working towards a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry. Seth said, "The internship program has given me valuable experience and has helped me learn new skills that I can use in future jobs throughout my career."

Benjamin Richardson just joined the MetCom team as an Engineering intern for the summer. Benjamin attends the University of Maryland where he is currently working towards obtaining his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Benjamins says, "Working at MetCom has been an interesting experience so far. I am hopeful to learn much in the remainder of my time here and am very much looking forward to the months ahead. The employees are dedicated to working hard, showing respect for one another, and practicing integrity, and that is a solid basis for and incredibly effective work environment."

Haley Copen is a Fiscal Intern in the Utility Billing/Customer Service Department. Haley attends Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia, where she is currently working towards earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Haley works summers and school breaks and said this about her internship, "Working as a Metcom intern has given me the opportunity and insight into how a large business operates. I have enjoyed applying skills I have learned in the classroom as well as learning new skills I will be able to use once I graduate college."

To learn more about the MetCom internship program, please visit our website at www.metcom.org and choose Open Positions under the Human Resources tab.