A Quick-Study: From Student Intern to APM

For Cameron Lipe, B.S., Electrical Engineering, ’23, the Clemson University Memorial Stadium Renovations project became a real-life learning lab – and career catapult – when he did an internship with CarolinaPower during his final semester at Clemson. The rest, as they say, “is history.” 

For Cameron, now an Assistant Project Manager (APM) with CarolinaPower, it all started when the Liberty, S.C. native attended Clemson’s Fall 2022 Technology, Manufacturing, Engineering & Science Career Fair. Cameron had already decided that he wanted to pursue a career in the construction industry; and he had identified two specific employers that he wanted to speak with – one an Upstate general contractor, the other an electrical contractor (CarolinaPower).

At CarolinaPower’s booth, Cameron met Madison Younginer, business development executive; and Bryana Barber, project manager and a Clemson Civil Engineering/MBA graduate. “The more they described the type of work that CarolinaPower performs, and told me about the company culture, the more intrigued I became. I liked the idea of seeing electrical engineering through a different lens,” said Cameron.

After some follow-up conversations with Vice President Travis Oswald, Cameron was sold on an internship with CarolinaPower.  “I was excited to start working in the field, especially on such a high-profile project on my own campus,” said Cameron. 

After attending his EE classes, Cameron would report to the jobsite in the afternoon where he had the opportunity to learn the basics of electrical construction firsthand, from the “best in the business.” By spring, he had been exposed to all aspects of the electrical scope for Phase 2 of the project. He learned to wire lights, install outlets, run conduit, pull wire, read drawings and more.

“As an electrical engineering student, we learned about electrical equipment in theory. But understanding the math behind something and seeing it in person are two different things. As soon as I started my internship, I knew I was hooked on electrical construction.”

Upon graduation from Clemson in May 2023, Cameron accepted a full-time position with CarolinaPower. In fact, he even dropped by the jobsite in his cap and gown to check in with his teammates. As a new employee and project manager trainee, Cameron continued to serve on the Memorial Stadium project team.

Cameron soon took on an increasingly responsible role – essentially serving as foreman on the Lot 5 improvements and TigerWalk component, as well as some interior work.  All of this was done under the guidance of longtime CarolinaPower Superintendent, Tim Johnson.

“Even though Tim had 30 years in the field, and I was fresh out of college, he would still ask for my input to help me better understand how superintendents look at different tasks,” said Cameron of his mentor. Throughout the stadium project, Cameron also had the privilege of working alongside two seasoned field electricians who showed him the ropes daily. To complement the field learning, Cameron was introduced to project scheduling, procurement, and project financials by Senior Project Manager Chip Wilson.

As the 2023 football season approached and the stadium project neared completion, Cameron helped close out the job. Within a month, after completing a core class in CarolinaPower’s formal Management Trainee Program, Cameron was assigned to another project on the Clemson campus – the new Alumni and Visitors Center, for which underground work was just getting started. Later that year, Cameron was promoted to Assistant Project Manager.

“In less than two years, I’ve had the chance to see CarolinaPower’s projects from three different points of view – from an intern experiencing real-world construction for the first time and soaking up company knowledge, to being a foreman in the field, to a more behind-the-scenes role as APM. It’s been a one-of-a-kind of career journey for me, all while getting to work on the campus of my alma mater,” said Cameron.