October 10, 2019

​Stephanie Edwards started her career at FirstEnergy more than six years ago in customer service and meter reading. Then she realized, she wanted to play a more direct role in power distribution.

Now she works as a substation electrician out of Jersey Central Power & Light’s (JCP&L) Hopatcong Service Center. And, she’s spotlighted in a recent short video posted to FirstEnergy’s public YouTube channel and other social media.

For Stephanie, the most rewarding aspect of the job is power restoration. However, she believes most people are unfamiliar with the vital, behind-the-scenes role substation electricians serve in the restoration process. In the video, she notes, “Without us, the power wouldn’t get to the distribution lines so line workers wouldn’t be able to do their job.”

Stephanie adds: “You don’t see us, but we’re out there every day ensuring that power is getting distributed.”

A recent graduate of our Power Systems Institute (PSI) training program, Stephanie is one of four female substation electricians working across JCP&L’s footprint. She hopes to pave the way for more young women interested in the electric utility industry. In fact, four female students (three in substation, one in line work) currently are enrolled in PSI programs located in our various operating company territories.

You can watch Stephanie’s video now.