Intern Turned Engineer Takes His Skills From the Lab to the Field

As he looked out into the expanse of the city of Wildomar, Victor Wu tried to envision how this landscape would soon be transformed. The nondescript plots of land before him will soon be developed into 3,000 new homes and commercial properties.

Two years ago, Wu interned at Southern California Edison’s Advanced Technology Lab exploring reliability and energy-efficient solutions. Now as a full-time engineer at the utility, he is designing a distribution system that will deliver electricity to this area, proposing the integration of the very technologies he researched as an intern.

“The devices and technology that I used in the lab in my internship are now being used in the field. It’s amazing to see the work I did as an intern come into fruition,” Wu said, now a Distribution Automation engineer.

SCE offers a variety of paid internships related to engineering, customer service, information technology and business administration. Although they represent different industries, the internships are all designed to provide interns with real working experience and professional development opportunities.

Dania Abdelhadi, a former SCE telecommunications analyst intern and business economics student at the University of California, Irvine, helped modernize equipment to enable better, more efficient communication systems.

“I’m able to apply what I’m learning in my classes directly into a work environment,” said Abdelhadi. “I’m a first generation college student and I’ve never been exposed to the corporate world so I was able to challenge myself to reach a potential I didn’t even know I had.”

Leo Labra, an SCE University and College Relations recruiter, said the company’s philosophy is to help interns develop transferrable skills like working in a team and managing multiple projects. As part of the program, interns are assigned mentors who can help guide them through the beginning of their careers.

This year, SCE is looking to fill 150 paid internship positions.

It’s this emphasis on development and growth that attracted Wu to SCE in the first place and ultimately brought him back to the company.

“I could tell that SCE wasn’t just interested in what I had done so far, but the potential of what I could do. My team was asking me for input and giving me work that really affected the project. They were investing in me and that gave me confidence in my abilities,” said Wu.

Since returning to SCE as a full-time engineer after graduating from UC Santa Barbara, Wu has completed an intensive field engineering program and has been involved in a multitude of projects that showcase innovation and energy efficiency.

“It’s a really exciting time because we are working into transitioning into the grid of the future. I’ve been able to use all the things I’ve learned to build something that affects so many people,” Wu said. “It’s truly meaningful work.”

Learn more about SCE internships and how to apply: Edison Careers.

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