Region 1 News

WIN-PPL Susquehanna Youth & Nuclear Power Day 2010

PPL Youth Day.jpg Sixty-seven children between 8 and 12 years old attended the annual Youth and Nuclear Power Day sponsored by the Susquehanna chapter of Women in Nuclear. The event gave the children a peek into the world of nuclear power and some of the careers unique to the field. The children watched a film about all different forms of energy and learned from the displays in our Energy Information Center. There was a demonstration in the control room simulator, after which the children were able to do some hands-on operating and team-building exercises. There were also opportunities for the children to simulate processing through the gatehouse to understand the security of a nuclear power plant and take a perimeter tour of the nuclear power plant. The children also ventured into the company’s wetlands area for a nature walk to see how the company preserves and monitors the area’s environment. Each child received a science experiment kit with the hope that they would continue their interest in science and technology after this experience.

WIN-PPL Susquehanna Sponsors “Stuff the Bus” Backpack Drive

PPL Stuff the Bus.jpg The Susquehanna chapter of Women in Nuclear organized their annual backpack and school supply drive this summer to benefit area elementary children. For the first year, the chapter partnered with the United Way and two other area businesses to collect donations and school supplies. More than 200 filled backpacks were collected, more than triple the amount that had been provided in the past! Luckily, an area bus company donated the use of a school bus and driver to pick up and deliver the backpacks from the donors to the school. They were provided to the Berwick Area School District, which distributed the backpacks to children identified as needy by the free and reduced lunch program. It was by far our most successful drive!

Entergy WIN Contributes to Harborfest

Entergy Harborfest.jpg All four of the Women in Nuclear focus areas were in effect during the successfully executed Entergy activities at the 2010 Oswego Harborfest. Harborfest is a four-day festival held in Oswego, N.Y., every summer the last weekend in July. Entergy is a main sponsor for the festival, and WIN members contribute their time to all aspects of the event from initial planning to equipment teardown. Some WIN members take advantage of the professional development and networking opportunities provided by serving on the board of directors and various committees in advance of the festival. Others perform public outreach and community service during the event. This year, rain couldn’t dampen spirits as WIN members set up for the Grucci fireworks show, sold raffle tickets to support the event, and helped out in Entergy’s sailing-themed children’s tent.

In the tent, WIN members and their children donated their time to provide face painting, temporary tattoos, sailing-themed coloring projects, free balloons and t-shirts. Meanwhile, parents and older siblings discovered how much electricity they could generate on a bicycle while learning about nuclear power and the grid that provides electricity to the region.

2010 Westinghouse WIN Scholarship Awarded

WIN 2010 Scholarship.jpg

Michelle Szucs, an academic standout and skilled flautist from Upper Saint Clair High School, is this year’s Westinghouse Women in Nuclear Scholarship recipient. The award—$2,500 for Michelle’s college education—was presented at a special breakfast in her honor on May 20 at Cranberry Wood headquarters.

After a safety brief, Michele DeWitt, Westinghouse’s vice president of U.S. fuel and WIN executive sponsor, welcomed the winner, her parents and two of her teachers. She then introduced Aris Candris, Westinghouse’s president and chief executive officer, who congratulated Michelle and presented the award, which Michelle plans to apply to her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Michelle was selected from 52 applicants. The applicants were judged by a committee of Westinghouse WIN representatives based upon their academic performance, extracurricular activities and response to an essay question.

At Upper Saint Clair High School, Michelle has a QPA of 4.88 and is ranked first in her class of 369 students. She is a National Merit Scholarship finalist and a member of the National Honor Society (through which she has volunteered as a chemistry and algebra tutor); the school’s team captain in the KDKA/Westfield Insurance “Hometown High Q” television show; and captain of the fourth-place team in the Pittsburgh Chemistry Olympics-Category II.

Outside the classroom, Michelle is principal flautist and student manager of the school’s pit orchestra, as well as a member of the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra and Upper Saint Clair Performing Artist Group. She performed at numerous Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Festivals throughout her high school years. Michelle also worked as a junior volunteer at St. Clair Hospital and performed as part of Yinz Winds, a woodwind trio that she co-founded to perform for community service and private functions.

The scholarship was established in 2007 and is awarded to a female high school senior from the Pittsburgh area intending to pursue a bachelor’s degree in engineering, mathematics or physical sciences at an accredited college or university. Until 2010, the amount of the scholarship was $1,000. This year, in recognition of the continuing success of this program, the award amount was increased to $2,500. WIN has continued to increase the number of schools to which it communicates the scholarship. For the 2010 scholarship, more than 60 Pittsburgh-area schools were invited to have their students apply for the scholarship.

A special thank you to the WIN scholarship committee for their hard work and dedication to the scholarship program!

For questions on the Westinghouse WIN scholarship program, contact Debbie Pillar (pillardz@westinghouse.com) or Jill Watson (watsonjs@westinghouse.com).

Michelle Szucs received a commemorative plaque before an audience of her peers at Upper St. Clair High School’s awards night May 25. The award was presented by Brenda Petrilena, Westinghouse WIN Pittsburgh Chapter Leading Group chair and Westinghouse supply chain management director of global demand planning.

KAPL-BMPC Holds Speed Mentoring Event

Speed Mentoring.jpeg Here are the details from our recent speed mentoring event, which is similar to speed dating.

Based on the amount of interest, we invited four well-respected mentors.

Each mentor was assigned a subject: 1. when to get a mentor; 2. when to leave a mentoring relationship; 3. what makes a good mentoring relationship; 4. how to find a mentor.

When the mentees arrived for the one-hour session, we had them count off and split into four groups.

We had one group of one mentor and about four mentees at each table. We told everyone that if they feel comfortable with one of the mentors to contact them after the event and request a mentoring relationship.

To begin, everyone sat down and spent five minutes getting to know each other with an icebreaker exercise: "Tell everyone about someone you would want to be like and explain why." Some people picked a historic person and some picked fictional characters. It was a success.

Then the mentor opened with a few sentences about the subject they were assigned and asked the mentees lots of questions to get the conversation opened. After 15 minutes, the mentees switched tables, continuing until they had visited all four mentors.

The mentees and mentors said they had a successful time with good conversations. Some of the mentees mentioned that they were going to begin a formal mentoring relationship based on the knowledge they gained from this event. We plan to hold another speed mentoring event in one year.

Westinghouse Interns Play Green Energy Jeopardy

Westinghouse Women in Nuclear of Windsor, Conn., organized a "Going Green" Jeopardy Lunch & Learn in July for the interns at the two local sites. Questions were focused on facts about green energy technologies including nuclear, solar, wind and hydropower. Members of the winning team were able to choose a prize from a variety of Westinghouse gear. There were 33 participants including interns and WIN members, and all enjoyed a delicious lunch while learning about green energy!