Introducing NYPA’s Interns
Welcome to NYPA’s 2018 Summer Intern blog series. Each week, we’ll be featuring several interns working across NYPA’s various sites and departments. Read on to learn more about our interns and why they chose to work at NYPA!
Many developmental interns have taken full-time positions at NYPA. NYPA was named one of America’s Best Midsize Employers by Forbes in 2018. To search openings, visit nypa.gov/careers.
Adam Pleva is a Construction Engineering Intern at NYPA’s Niagara Power Project and is from Fredonia, NY. He has already completed a degree in Physics from Fredonia State University, and he is currently pursuing an additional degree in Civil Engineering from SUNY University at Buffalo. He said his favorite classes are his design courses because they allow for “a combination of logical and creative thought.” He continued, explaining that his structural and transportation design courses showed him how an engineer “can truly put himself into his work when logical thought and creative thought coexist.” Regarding the energy industry, Adam said he is most interested in clean and renewable energy because he wants to make a “substantial and positive impact” on the world, and he enjoys working at NYPA because the environment makes him feel comfortable and ready to take on the next stage of his professional career. In five years, he hopes to begin his career in a Civil Engineering related field.
Tyler FeFee is a General Maintenance Intern at NYPA’s St. Lawrence site. He is from Massena, NY and is pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering from Clarkson University. He said his favorite classes have been Biology, Construction, and Management because they allow him “to understand how the environment interacts with the Civil Engineering aspect of construction and development to produce facilities such as the STL FDR Project.” Regarding the energy industry, he is most interested in the infrastructure necessary to support the electric grid and how the development of NYPA’s FDR project has positively impacted the surrounding area. Tyler also said that he enjoys working at NYPA because he is able to “see the results of the hard work over the last 60 years which allow NYPA facilities to exist and produce efficient, clean energy for customers and industry.” Next May, Tyler will be enlisting into the United States Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant, and in five years he hopes to be an officer.
Sam Woods is a Procurement Intern at NYPA’s St. Lawrence site. He is from Potsdam, NY and is currently double-majoring in Finance and Supply Chain Management at the University of Pittsburgh. He said that his favorite classes there are the ones which rely on applied math to solve business problems because “you can see the results of your work and it can make a difference.” Sam also said that he is interested in the energy industry because of the exciting future of clean energy and its pivotal role in society. He likes working at NYPA for similar reasons, and explained that “being a part of something that has a substantial impact on a large group of people is very exciting.” In five years, he hopes to have a steady job that is challenging, rewarding and in an exciting industry.
Zachary Frieden is the Media Relations Intern at NYPA’s White Plains office. He is from Armonk, NY and is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and an accelerated Master’s in Public Administration. He said his favorite class has been 21st Century Governance because it exposed him to a wide variety of issues in public policy. Regarding the energy industry, he is most interested in energy policy, specifically “community shared renewables and the way in which our energy system is becoming cleaner, more democratized, and more accessible.” Zachary enjoys working at NYPA because he had the opportunity to learn about everything NYPA is working on, and in five years, he hopes to be practicing law.
