Nineteen high school juniors and seniors have completed the 2025 Summer Internship Program at the Henry County Water Authority (HCWA), marking a record for both student participation and departmental involvement. The program, now in its third year, is conducted in partnership with Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) and aims to provide students with practical experience in various aspects of the water industry.
“This year, we were able to expand the program into several new departments, including IT and Purchasing and Inventory, giving students a well-rounded, hands-on experience,” said Tamara Woodie, HCWA Director of HR & Risk Management. “The enthusiasm, professionalism, and curiosity our interns brought to the workplace was truly inspiring.”
Through this pre-apprenticeship paid internship program, participants took SCTC courses for college credit while also working at HCWA across seven different departments. This structure allowed students to gain both academic credit and work experience over the summer.
“Years ago, when seeing the aging work force and talent drain within the water industry, I knew we had to be more proactive in identifying our brightest students, and more competitive in recruiting future water professionals,” said Tony Carnell, HCWA General Manager.
“It’s been so refreshing to see the enthusiasm, eagerness, and willingness to learn from this new, hidden talent,” Carnell added. “With intentional programs such as this, I feel encouraged about the future of our organization and the water industry.”
From June 2 through July 25, interns split their time between SCTC classes on interpersonal relations and professional development two days per week and hands-on responsibilities at HCWA three days per week. Students reported that their roles included more than routine office tasks; they gained direct experience similar to full-time employees.
“I heard this was a good opportunity to get life experience and perspectives on how water impacts our community,” said Taciana Palmer of Union Grove High School. She worked in Operational Technology where she learned about Advanced Metering Infrastructure technology as well as field services.
“It was interesting to see how technology is integrated into field services and how engineering drives future project planning,” Palmer added.
Patrick Pruitt from Woodland High School highlighted his exposure to environmental conservation efforts at HCWA. “I was amazed by the emphasis on environmental conservation and how seriously they (HCWA employees) take the water production process,” he said. Pruitt expressed interest in pursuing a career as a lab analyst after his internship experience.
“They do their jobs so consistently, and nearly everyone I met had 10 or more years of work experience in the industry. It was a very comfortable workspace,” he added.
Sophia Turner from Woodland High School joined after attending an informational session hosted by HCWA at SCTC last spring. She interned with Information Technology at HCWA.
“After watching the video they showed of last year’s interns, this looked like fun,” Turner said. “I learned what IT does… maintaining their network… overseeing inventory… ordering parts… downloading software for different departments.” She appreciated visiting various plants to ensure operational needs were met.
A complete list of participating students is available on www.hcwa.com along with photos from this year’s commencement.
