Marissa Glaspie-Fisher believes the Lakeland Electric Power Academy at Tenoroc High School in Polk County saved her life.

"I do want to give thanks to my teacher," said Glaspie-Fisher, who graduated from Tenoroc in 2015.

  • Power Academy teaches students hands-on skills
  • All high school students in Polk County are invited to apply
  • Students graduate the program with a certificate and experience  

She gets emotional talking about when she was homeless or living in a foster home, struggling to make it to class every day.

But she did graduate, and upon graduation she learned she had earned a full-time job answering phones at Lakeland Electric.

"I don't have to worry about not having a house, a roof over my head. I have food in my house,” said Glaspie-Fisher.

The Power Academy teaches students how to become an electrician or line worker. Students earn certifications and get on-the-job training, which often leads to an internship.

According to Principal Jason Looney, some of the students get jobs paying six figures.

"Students that go to the turbine maintenance school, they are earning at times between $100,000 to $200,000 a year, possibly before they turn 20 years old,” said Looney.

Principal Looney said students also learn to write resumes and complete mock interviews with Lakeland Electric employees.

"The employability skills and people skills that it has provided for me has actually made a tremendous difference as far as speaking with people, actually applying for jobs and being able to go to interviews with confidence,” said Dakota Flinton, who is currently enrolled in the Power Academy and wants to study Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection and Repair at Fort Myers Technical College.

"The feedback that we receive from different agencies is that our students are more prepared coming out of the Power Academy than the adults that apply for the same position,” Looney said.  

The Lakeland Electric Power Academy is open to all Polk County high school students.