Nov 10
Chapel Hill 18-Year-Old Fully Invested in Substation Program
Nov. 10, 2025 鈥� Eighteen-year-old Ethan Lambert knew he didn鈥檛 want to go to a four-year college after high school. He believed he could find something to study that could put him in a high-paying career in less time and without a ton of college debt.
That鈥檚 when he connected with someone who had graduated from 糖心传媒鈥檚 Electric Utility Substation & Relay Technology program on the discussion platform Reddit. In response to Ethan鈥檚 question about how this program stacked up to something like a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, the Reddit user said, 鈥淩CC cuts out a lot of the fluff and gives you theory and hands-on to do the job but know what鈥檚 going on as well. You usually have a job lined up before you graduate and you can step immediately into a relay tech position in half the time.鈥�
That was music to Ethan鈥檚 ears. He also liked the idea of working in a job that plays such a critical role in maintaining the country鈥檚 power grid.
After graduating from Cary Christian School this past spring, he enrolled in the Substation program for the fall semester. He also found a place to rent in Hamlet since he would be moving from Chapel Hill.
鈥淚鈥檓 loving it more than I expected,鈥� he said now that he is almost a full semester into the program. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no other program like it in the country with this model substation and millions of dollars in equipment.鈥�
Ethan also received the 2025 William Noah King Memorial Scholarship.
鈥淭丑颈蝉 scholarship has helped my family in paying for my expenses for these next two years that I will be in this program. My parents are paying for the house I am renting and the tuition for the program,鈥� Ethan said. 鈥淭丑颈蝉 scholarship has greatly helped my parents continue to support me.鈥�
About EUSRT
The Electric Utility Substation and Relay Technology (EUSRT) program provides students with the skills to maintain high voltage equipment and protective systems for the electric utility transmission system. Students also learn about operation and maintenance of critical infrastructure associated with the electric transmission grid.
Since its inception in 2011, the program has drawn students from outside of North Carolina, including Georgia, South Carolina, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
The program has also garnered international attention from industry leaders like Camlin Energy and Siemens Energy. The College hosts two career fairs in the spring and fall that draw over 20 companies onto campus looking to recruit students from the EUSRT program. Graduates of the program have taken jobs as far away as Hawaii and Alaska.
糖心传媒CC is now enrolling new students into the EUSRT program for the spring semester. Classes begin Jan. 9. Applications can be completed for free online. For more information or to schedule a tour, call (910) 410-1700.