Velvet Green

After high school, Velvet didn’t have a clear career path and had several ideas of jobs she might like.  When she decided it was time to settle down, she recalled always being interested in science and technology.  When her friends recommended Entergy, she decided to give it a try.

When Velvet decided to enroll in the online EPCE Electric Power Technology (ELPW) program at Bismarck State College, she was pleasantly surprised by the support she received from Entergy.  Aside from a great reimbursement program, her supervisors and co-workers offered her a lot of help.  “I received a lot of encouragement.  They were really motivational.”  She was able to use her breaks to study and even stayed after work for extra study time.

The road to her degree wasn’t smooth.  Aside from working full time, Velvet volunteers 70 hours per month.  Because of her schedule and unforeseen incidents, she had to take a couple breaks while pursuing her degree.  She ended up having surgery, traveling to a large conference in Europe for her church, and relocating due to Hurricane Katrina.  Throughout, she knew she would go back to her studies and complete her degree.

“This degree gives me a background in all the different areas within my office.  The principle of one area can be applied to different areas.  Overall, it was a really good experience; there were a couple sleepless nights, but I survived.”

Currently, Velvet is pretty content.  She feels no rush to go back to school.  “I am learning a lot in my current position, plus I can use my new knowledge to learn more about my department.”