Helping Make Career Dreams Come True for Verbum Dei Students
Since 2006, Edison International has helped mentor 27 students at the all-male school.
When you think of Southern California Edison (SCE), the trading floor doesn’t immediately pop into your mind. It certainly didn’t for Kenneth Simpkins, a freshman at Verbum Dei High School who is interning at the utility through the school’s work study program.
“What the program is mainly trying to do is get you ready for work,” said the 14 year old.
Recently, Kenneth and fellow freshman intern, Quintin Hardie, got a tour of the company’s energy trading department and learned how the company buys and sells power on the energy market.
The students also met with some of the company’s video crews and learned about the electronics of videography and what kind of work that job entails.
“I thought it was a good head start in life to be able to witness a job at this young age and how my parents never got a chance to go to a job in high school,” said Quintin.
Since 2006, Edison International, SCE’s parent company, has partnered with Verbum Dei High to support the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. The program helps the school’s underserved male students gain valuable on-the-job learning experiences and mentorship.
In partnership with businesses throughout Los Angeles, the school takes care of the logistics of getting students to and from work. Each student works one day a week, often for the same company for their entire four-year high school experience. And they’re paid, which helps cover a part of their high school tuition costs.
For more stories on Edison Scholars and other Edison news, visit Edison's Online Newsroom.
To learn more about Edison's philanthropic programs, read Power in Partnerships: Community Investment Report 2014.
