FINDLAY, Ohio — Students from the University of Findlay visited local industrial power company One Energy on Monday to see where the winds of their studies could take them after college.
"We give them a tour of not only the facility, but also a lot of the operating projects here at the North Findlay Wind campus," said Bower Sarra, senior analyst of One Energy. "So, they'll get to see the inside of a wind turbine. They'll also get to do hands-on activities."
The students, from a "human impact on the environment" course, were given a close look at turbines to see how sustainable wind energy is made.
"It's really important for this generation to understand how choices we make on a daily basis are affecting the climate or the biodiversity," said Kerry Teeple, who teaches the course.
Sarra says the company hosts visits to show people interested in the field what they do and give them a new way to learn the trade.
"I think a lot of times when you're in class, it's really easy to get into the theory of everything. But actually seeing industry and seeing hands-on equipment and also operating projects is really exciting because you get to see what you're learning in real-time," Sarra said.
Bailee Romanowski, a UF sophomore majoring in animal science pre-vet, said learning about what One Energy does for the environment is important.
"It is interesting to learn more about the environment," Romanowski said. "And honestly, as an animal science major, I still need to know about the environment because I'm going to be working with animals."
Workforce development gives students a chance to experience their field outside the classroom. Not only can they scout career opportunities, but they can expand their knowledge in general.
"I think it's very good for other majors especially to get to experience this because you get to see different aspects of learning," Romanowski said. "I'm a science major, so it's not just I'm not taking chemistry. I'm experiencing a different class. It's so interesting because I'm not learning about the same thing every day."