Jahavheed George knows firsthand what a difference a year can make.
Exactly one year since beginning his internship with Dominion Energy in May 2022 – and just three days after graduating in May 2023 – the Benedict College graduate started his first day with Dominion Energy as a full-time associate financial analyst.
A native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, George moved to South Carolina in 2019 to study accounting.
“Since I started at Dominion Energy, I immediately noticed the culture was positive,” George said. “As an intern, you really want hands-on training, and everyone I worked with was always offering to help me build on my experience.”
Dominion Energy prioritizes recruiting and hiring new college graduates to help keep them in the Palmetto State.
“My experience as an intern is what really made me want to stay with the company,” George said. “I didn’t feel like I was just an intern – I know I’m valued. It’s because of Benedict College that I heard of the internship opportunity, and the school prepared me tremendously for the work that I now do professionally.”
George said his time at Benedict College, one of eight historically Black colleges and universities in South Carolina, not only prepared him for his career, but also provided him with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.
“We supplement classroom learning with enriching experiential learning opportunities,” Dean of Burroughs School of Business and Entrepreneurship at Benedict College, Tracy H. Dunn, said. “Jahavheed was a student who sought those opportunities. We are extremely proud of him and look forward to following his career at Dominion Energy.”
During his final semester, George participated in a roundtable with Vice President Kamala Harris.
“It was exciting to represent my HBCU and showcase everything it has to offer,” he said. “As young Black men, our issues and concerns are often an afterthought. It meant a lot to everyone present that were given the opportunity to voice our opinions and thoughts.”
Felita Davis Hicks, workforce development and planning specialist with Dominion Energy, works closely with colleges and universities to recruit new talent to the company.
“It’s exciting to see a new generation of employees build a meaningful career with our company as our internship program continues to play an important role in our diverse recruitment,” Hicks said. “Our long-term partnerships with schools like Benedict College are key to helping students make real-world connections as they transition to full-time employees.”
In 2020, Dominion Energy committed $25 million to be shared by 11 historically Black colleges and universities in Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina. The six-year “HBCU Promise” program supports endowments, capital projects, operating expenses and educational programs in clean energy.
Dominion Energy’s best-in-class internship program helps cultivate a workforce prepared to serve the 7 million Americans nationwide that depend on the company to provide the safe and reliable energy they need to fuel their lives. Interns represent over 80 majors from over 85 schools and live in 22 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico.
More than 70 percent of the interns in the summer program return for multiple summers, and 75 percent of seniors receive offers of employment. For more information about Dominion Energy’s internship program, visit Careers.DominionEnergy.com.
