Jade Thiemsuwan May Be Young, but He is An Old Pro when it comes to knowing what matters most to him in life. Not only is the 22-year-old associate engineer for San Diego Gas & Electric (San Diego, California, U.S.) passionate about his budding career in the utility business, Thiemsuwan also uses his education and work experience to recruit others to hop aboard the power bandwagon.

“I would tell anyone considering a career in the utility or power industry that they are making a great decision,” he said. “This profession offers unlimited growth, the opportunity to use cutting-edge technology and a chance to integrate many of the disciplines learned in college. More importantly, electrical engineers who enter the utility business are doing one of the most ethically correct jobs there is.”

To share his enthusiasm for energy, Thiemsuwan started a student chapter of the IEEE Power & Energy Society at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Pomona, California) just prior to graduating from the school last December with his BSEE degree. However, he wanted the PES at Cal Poly Pomona, which currently boasts around 70 members, to be different from similar clubs.

“I created a motif to attach to the bottom of our e-mails and on the backs of our shirts,” he explains. “The message is ‘EmPOWERment.’” The idea is to give students the notion that it is up to them to create their own success story with a career in power engineering.

“We will no longer allow professors or less-than-perfect grades to dictate our future in a good career,” he added. “Some of the methods used to accomplish this goal include putting on technical infosessions from industry professionals, actively seeking non-textbook engineering knowledge and up-to-date technology, and visiting industry leaders' facilities.”

Despite Thiemsuwan's passion for power, the California native admits he almost chose a different path. During childhood visits to Edwards Air Force Base in Mojave, California, where his father's vending machine business sometimes took him, he dreamed of building fighter jets and missiles. This aspiration changed, however, during a college course.

“I realized while taking an ethics class that my duty as an engineer is to better society — not only to make our world more technologically advanced but for the betterment of mankind as well,” he said. “So, I re-examined my childhood ambition and decided building missiles and jets maybe doesn't help society, considering all the war that occurs.”

Thiemsuwan's two summer internships at SDG&E further convinced him he had chosen the correct profession. The utility's first intern from Cal Poly Pomona, Thiemsuwan worked as a district engineer during his first internship and in the major projects group during his second stint.

“During my first internship, I learned the front-end of keeping the lights on,” he said. “This is when I realized that this is a really important job. I am needed, because everyone depends on energy in one way or another — especially people on life support. It hit me that I am helping someone stay alive. Each day, that gives me a certain amount of pride.”

Currently, Thiemsuwan is in the first leg of three six-month rotations that SDG&E requires its new engineers to complete. In addition, he is in the process of obtaining his PE license and has plans to return to school for his master's degree in the not-too-distant future.

“Something I've learned at SDG&E is that you really have to love what you do — not just like it or tolerate it, but really love it,” he said. “To me, one of the worst things you can do is get a degree and not use it. One reason I appreciate the utility business is because it allows me to incorporate the many aspects of my education into my career.”

When he isn't working at SDG&E, Thiemsuwan enjoys spending time with his girlfriend, playing the drums, karaoking and cooking some of the Thai dishes his father has taught him to make. He also travels once a year to visit his large extended family back in Thailand, which he says gives him an appreciation for the differences in cultures.

“When I go back to Thailand, I see a lot of poverty,” he said. “However, the poverty there is very different from the poverty in America. Here in the United States, poverty often is synonymous with depression or discontentment. In Thailand, it is not necessarily the same. Just because someone there does not have money does not mean he is poor at heart.”

Although his days at Cal Poly Pomona have ended, Thiemsuwan's involvement in its PES has not. He continues to encourage students to join the power industry by helping them find a sponsor, giving tours of SDG&E's facility and mentoring incoming PES leaders so they can pass along knowledge.

“I tell engineering students to keep an open mind,” he said. “Sometimes instructors at the college level are not up to date on all the advancement occurring in our industry. I strongly encourage research at the personal level, because when it comes to power, the sky is the limit.”