Nick Gaither was a student at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology when, in 2024, he accepted a full-time position as a Transmission Line Engineer. Here is a bit of his story:
Nick Gaither graduated from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology before he started his career at Wabash Valley Power Alliance.
Can you tell us a little about your career journey and how you ended up at Wabash Valley Power Alliance?
Prior to working at Wabash, I had some internships with another company back home in Las Vegas. It focused heavily on robotics and testing. While it was fun it didn’t feel like it was something I wanted to do long-term. My dad had worked as a generation engineer for the local IOU electric utility and although I was young and didn’t understand much, I thought the power plant he worked at was awesome. Remembering that as I got to the later years of college, I knew that a career in the electric utility industry was something I wanted to pursue.
What is your role at WVPA?
My role as a Transmission Line Engineer is to design reliable transmission lines for our members. Part of that is communicating with them to make sure that we account for everything that they are looking for while meeting design codes.
What is the most exciting aspect of working at WVPA or in the power industry as a whole?
It is tough to single out anything specific other than traveling. My role on the team leads me to site visits every so often. I absolutely love getting out of the office and seeing the communities that we serve, and I love seeing the work I create in person. It’s just a few poles, but it’s miles of line and it would be cool to say, “I designed that.”
What advice would you give to college students who want to get into this industry?
Good choice! The thing that seems to have caught me most by surprise was how versatile this industry can be. Although I studied electrical engineering and it is relevant to what I do, I am learning a lot about some concepts from civil engineering. Principles of mechanical engineering are relevant in how we generate power. So, my advice is to branch out and learn about things in other engineering disciplines.
What are we most likely to catch you doing during the weekend?
I feel like I’ve been in the process of moving since I got to Indianapolis, and I am already moving to another apartment soon. I like to spend a lot of time with my girlfriend and together we like to try new places, whether it’s a new coffee shop or a new restaurant. We both like Blue Collar Coffee Co. and Java House. As for restaurants, one of our favorites was Strange Bird. Outside of that I play guitar and video games and occasionally read.