When Owen Valley High School’s Melissa Gillenwater reached out to South Central Indiana REMC about coming to her Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) class, the big question was how to fill 50 minutes and how to keep it interesting.

 

However, SCI Vice President of Human Resources Marilou Idland put together a crew of presenters from both the REMC and Hoosier Energy that did the job for three junior/senior classes on March 12.

 

“It turned out well,” Idland said. “I wasn’t sure what to expect but we had three goals: prevent chronic sleeping, prevent chronic phone scrolling and hope that when they graduate, these kids will see Hoosier Energy or SCI and think of the presentation. I think we hit all three of them.”

 

Idland was joined by Lead Line Foreman Chad Griffin, Fiber O&M Specialist Ian Stratton and GIS Administrator Drew Duncan from SCI. Hoosier Energy’s quartet consisted of HR Analyst Tina Dixon, Technical Advisor Emerging Energy Resources Linda Margison, Video Producer Chris Johnson and Area Coordinator Meter Relay Brandon Robinson.

 

South Central Indiana REMC’s Marilou Idland talks to the Owen Valley JAG class on March 12, 2025.

Following Idland’s introduction to REMCs, Griffin spoke about the apprentice program and opportunities to help other people such as during Hurricane Helene and with Project Indiana in Guatemala.

 

Stratton helped the students understand how fiber works, even giving them a multiple-choice quiz, and then spoke about careers in fiber ranging from the network to outside plant to technicians and administrative jobs.

 

Duncap capped off the SCI portion talking about how important maps are, the need for electronic maps and how important it is to help a lineman find a pole in the middle of the night or the middle of a storm.

 

He also touched on the importance of using drones, which segued into Johnson’s presentation as well, talking about using drones for photos and videos as well as the need for communications in a local utility.

 

Dixon generally spoke about jobs at Hoosier Energy, while Margison primarily discussed electric vehicles.

 

Robinson wrapped up by explaining how power works and what it might mean if the power blinks three times. He also showed the students some equipment and instrumentation.

 

“We had seven minutes per person – just three minutes for Tina and myself in HR,” Idland said. “It kept things moving, and we had topics that showed how innovative we are. It’s not just a boring rural cooperative, but we are very much into technology and staying in front of that.”

 

Gillenwater, who teaches as an extension of Vincennes University, would later share how much her students learned by email.

 

“They were particularly impressed by the breadth of career options available within Hoosier Energy and SCI REMC,” she wrote to Idland. “Many of them had no idea there were so many diverse opportunities, and they found the information incredibly informative and engaging.

 

“The presentation truly opened their eyes to potential career paths they hadn’t considered before.”