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Internships and Part-time Work Help State program. He works second shift, Jaden have been able to tackle all that
Solidify Choices running the same kinds of tests on that STEM curriculum — and to do it under a
Bales interned at West Knox Utility plant’s water. pandemic? It’s not easy, and they’ve done
District this spring, where he got “Learning about the contents of your fantastic. I think they’re both going to do
the unique opportunity to work at drinking water is very interesting,” great things.”
two water treatment plants that Goodman said. “Some people think there’s Between the Pellissippi State classes and
use different technologies: a conventional not a whole lot to it. There is way more the required three-to-six site visits per
filtration plant and a membrane plant. He than you can ever imagine.” semester to utility districts throughout the
started working there full-time in June. Multi-Faceted Program Creation Spelled region, Bales and Goodman are hitting the
“A lot of people who have been operating Success ground running with diplomas in hand.
plants for 30 years haven’t had that An advisory committee comprised of “Brad and Jaden have worked so hard
opportunity,” Heidel noted. “We wanted 11 utility representatives as well as staff to graduate in two years, especially in a
to get Brad exposed to both and cross from the Tennessee Association of Utility pandemic,” Carbajo said. “People don’t
trained to make his internship valuable.” Districts and the state’s Fleming Training realize that you can work anywhere
“To be an operator, you have to be a Center worked with Pellissippi State to in the world in water or wastewater
jack of all trades and know a little bit create the Water Quality Technology treatment, and it’s an extremely high-
of everything – engineering, electrical, program, which was specifically designed paying career. Here at Pellissippi State
chemistry – and that’s fascinating to me to prepare students to be able to pass we are training students to be set up for
because I like to learn new things and the rigorous Grade III and Grade IV state leadership roles in the industry, and this is
understand how things work,” Bales said certification tests. The Grade IV exam has a lifelong career.”
as he ran multiple tests on the water at between a 0 and 40% pass rate, Carbajo A new cohort for Pellissippi
West Knox Utility District’s Williams noted, which means that some years no State’s Water Quality Technology Program
Bend conventional filtration plant. one passes the exam. starts each fall. To learn more, visit www.
“You have to know what to do when “This is a STEM (science, technology, pstcc.edu/water-quality or contact
something goes wrong: what numbers to engineering and math) heavy program, Carbajo at cmcarbajo@pstcc.edu or 865-
watch, which tests to run, listening to the with classes such as pre-calculus, 694-6427.
different pipes and getting a sense of what microbiology, general chemistry 1 This material is based upon work supported by
is or is not going on.” and 2,” said Cohort and Certificate the National Science Foundation under Grant No.
Meanwhile, Goodman got Programs Specialist Brock Evans. “Some 1800789. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those
hired by Plateau Utility District people struggle with that, but Brad and of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the
part time just a year into the Pellissippi views of the National Science Foundation.

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