If I had a nickel for every time my daughter, Malia, asked me, “Dad, what is your job?” I may have an easier time paying her college tuition. I have been blessed to represent electric cooperatives for 25 years, but my job is not as easy to explain as, say, a firefighter.
I also mention college tuition because last month, my wife and I dropped off Malia for her freshman year at Southern California’s Chapman University, which is best known for its film program, where aspiring directors and screenwriters dream of winning Academy Awards. Many emotions go along with dropping off your child to college for the first time. For me, it was the realization that the past 18 years had gone by at the speed of light.
Yet, I also felt a deep gratitude for the time we spent together, particularly this year. While Malia has been tagging along at statewide events for most of her life, she acknowledged it was not until she served as a translator earlier this year for the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association electrification project in Guatemala that she fully appreciated the role of electric cooperatives around the globe. It was amazing to bring her into my world and share the experience of helping bring electricity to places that could only dream of it.
Before we said our final goodbyes, Chapman had a closing ceremony on its football field, which is not far from the bright lights of Hollywood. It occurred to me that probably none of the 2,000 incoming freshmen aspires to work in the electric utility industry or for electric cooperatives. That is understandable. Everyone will blaze their own trail, including Malia.
Yet, my pride in what we do compels me to point out to this next generation of leaders that our industry is a noble profession, full of opportunities. If the bright lights of Hollywood don’t work out, they should consider talking to the professionals who generate those bright lights. We’re making dreams come true, all over the world. Just ask my daughter.
Executive Director
Ted Case
