Jesse Reeds’ Lakeland College journey came full circle when he returned to share his career experience with the Class of 2026 process and power engineering first-years.

Reeds’ presentation was part of the School of Energy’s Lunch and Learn series, in which industry professionals connect with current students. They discuss what it’s like to work in industry, the various careers they’ve found there, and what the students can expect in the future. Not all of the speakers were alumni, and they come from organizations like Cenovus Energy, CNRL, Pembina Pipeline, DOW Canada, SaskPower, Strathcona Resources Ltd. and, in Reed’s case, TransAlta.

“I really enjoyed coming back to Lakeland to talk to the students,” Reeds says. “It was cool talking about what I do now and what I had expected when I was a student in the program. I didn’t really know what I’d be getting into.”

Reeds, who graduated from the PPE program in 2019, when it was still called heavy oil and power engineering, now works at an energy plant in Forestburg, Alta. He fills a variety of roles there, primarily running the control panel for the two units that make power.

“I explained the work I do, showed pictures, explained a day-to-day of what I do, and opened the students’ minds up a little bit. I told them I remembered sitting where they were with no idea what would come after,” Reeds says. “I also told them about what some of my friends from the program are doing, to give them an idea of what they can look for, job-wise.”

Reeds says he’s glad the School of Energy is working to bring in industry professionals to share their experiences with the students, adding that is just another way Lakeland is preparing energy students to excel once they graduate.

“I’m pretty grateful for Lakeland,” he says. “There’s a difference right out of school when it comes to Lakeland. I don’t know if it’s the quality of teachers there or the extra information they give us but it’s definitely a continuing trend I’ve noticed.”