On a crisp autumn morning, about 80 students from East Ridge High School arrived at the Raccoon Mountain Visitor Center.
Their task ahead? Exploring one of the region’s most important energy assets and the careers that help power it.
They were greeted by members of Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc., a TVA retiree organization, who introduced them to the upper reservoir that fuels TVA’s Raccoon Mountain Pumped Storage Plant.
From the visitor center, overlooking the scenic Tennessee River Gorge, students learned how the pumped storage system works in tandem with the broader energy grid to balance supply and demand across the region.
Jeremy McIntyre, a cybersecurity teacher accompanying the group, remembers learning about TVA during his formative years in Missouri – alongside lessons on the Great Depression and Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal.
He’s now able to see that history in action and hopes this experience will expand his students’ horizons.
“Getting (students) outside of the four walls they’re in is always a benefit – seeing the world and real-life situations,” he said. “It gets them thinking, ‘What are some of the options I have?’ And imagining themselves potentially working here.”
Flipping the Switch
From TVA’s perspective, these visits help introduce young people to the power system and foster a deeper understanding of an everyday resource that’s often overlooked.
“It shows them what’s right under their nose,” Myra Ireland, a Bicentennial Volunteers, Inc. volunteer and a TVA retiree said. “They’ve grown up with TVA, but TVA isn’t always out in front of you. … Unless it’s pointed out, you don’t really know all the benefits or the opportunities TVA offers.”
For students like Alex Ervin, a junior at East Ridge, the visit provided a chance to think differently about where power comes from and how to be a better steward of that electricity.
“One of the speakers said flipping a light switch uses about an ounce of water. I never thought about electricity in that way before,” Alex said.
Inspiring Minds
Beyond learning about TVA’s public benefits – managing the Tennessee River system, protecting public lands and providing power for the region – the visit also emphasized the wide range of careers that support TVA’s mission.
Educators were provided with resources about TVA career paths to help bring those opportunities to life in the classroom.
Introducing students to job opportunities through meaningful experiences can offer them a bar to strive for, McIntyre said.
“I teach cybersecurity from level one all the way to practicum. By the time they’re in my fourth-level class, they’re serious about it,” Jeremy said. “TVA is a huge employer in cybersecurity. Trips like this give them a goal. It opens their eyes to what’s out there and helps build their network.”
For TVA retirees like Myra, reaching students at the right age can make all the difference in their futures.
“This was a good time for these students to come here because they’re starting to think about what comes next after high school,” she said.
“As I talked about the job opportunities at TVA … you could see the light bulbs going off – ‘Oh, I didn’t know TVA did that,’ or, ‘I could do that job.’ I think (this visit) was good for them.”
After graduating high school, Alex hopes to join the Army as an infantry soldier. But he’s also thinking long term – and TVA is on his radar.
“I’d like to work at TVA because I want to help as many people as possible,” Alex said. “TVA definitely seems like they have the people’s best interest in mind.”