RMEL Scholarship Opens Doors for Electrical Energy Students

The RMEL Foundation strives to bring opportunities for career development and awareness of the electrical industry to students looking to begin a career in the electrical utility industry.

With a mission to “prepare the electric energy industry for the future through education and networking,” RMEL’s Scholarship supports finding and recognizing qualified college students who are finding their passion in the industry. Funded by corporate and individual donations, the scholarship is an excellent opportunity designed to encourage students to thrive in the early stages of their careers.

For Brent Gefre, an engineering intern at Ulteig, the scholarship meant the opportunity to pursue a passion ignited by his father, a now retired lineman.

“I started working at a wind farm as my first experience in the electric industry,” said Brent. “Now at Ulteig, I have really learned more about the industry, and I’ve found that the scholarship was a good opportunity to engage with utilities.”

Brent is a two-time scholarship recipient, and he has been able to use the funds to help him pay for school at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Now, he can put his scholarship and schooling to use as an intern at Ulteig. With Ulteig’s engineering team, Brent works on building Human Machine Interface (HMI) for a solar site, which enables users to control the plant remotely via a computer and control panel.

“Working with other engineers in this industry is such a blessing,” he said. With almost two years of experience at Ulteig now, Brent has gained valuable experience working with industry professionals and has made huge strides in his career.

Jennifer Ciebiera represents Ulteig on the RMEL Foundation’s Board of Directors.  She is so proud of students like Brent who have taken the steps to pursue their passion in a career as rigorous and important as the electric utility industry.

“This is not just a win for Brent, but a win for us at Ulteig,” Jennifer said. “As a company supporter of RMEL, we had the opportunity to specifically choose Brent for this scholarship. He is already a high performer at our company, and we want to recognize him.” Receiving this scholarship also can help to promote connections within the industry and is a valuable item to have on your resume.

Brent encourages students who are interested in applying to focus on their passion for a career in the electric energy industry. The process was smooth for him, and it requires a simple application and a short essay.

The RMEL Scholarship is available to high school seniors, graduates or current university/college undergraduates who are pursuing or plan to pursue a career in the electric energy industry.

The RMEL Foundation is a non-profit organization established to promote careers in the electric energy industry by awarding scholarships to students.  Over the past 22 years, the Foundation has awarded 512 scholarships totaling more than $1.1 million to students interested in the electric utility industry in both professional and field careers. Ulteig is a proud supporter of both organizations — RMEL and RMEL Foundation.

The deadline for applications is February 24, 2023.

Learn more about the RMEL scholarship and the RMEL Foundation and begin your path to an exciting career in the electric industry today.