Employers across the united states of America have hired or are hiring summer season interns. For agencies like AT&T, internships are all approximately turning ‘students into day after today’s leaders’ via giving them ‘the right launching pad for an awesome career.’
Almeria Simmons (status left inside the image) is now a senior network planning engineer. She started painting as an intern at AT&T all through the summertime of 1986. Through the internship program, she met numerous experts who have become her mentors. After she graduated from college, Simmons landed a full-time position at AT&T with a piece of assist from those mentors.
“I started my career with AT&T within the summertime of 1987. With education supplied through the business enterprise, I was able to stay hired with AT&T,” she informed US Black Engineer magazine.
Through an AT&T non-stop gaining knowledge of software with Udacity, Simmons recently finished introductory coursework in records evaluation. She additionally plans to refresh her mastering of data.
“The destiny lies in these areas, and I would like to maintain my career for several extra years,” she stated.
During the BEYA STEM Conference in February, Simmons acquired the Dr. Lydia W. Thomas Legacy Award, named for the 2003 Black Engineer of the Year, the second girl to earn this prestigious award. As a former president and CEO of Noblis, Thomas becomes responsible for the route of the employer’s new and rising technologies.
The presenter of the 2019 Lydia W. Thomas Legacy award turned into Theresa Spiraling (status right), associate director for diversity and inclusion at AT&T, and chief executive of Women at AT&T. More than 17,000 individuals strong, the countrywide worker aid institution inspires girls on the telecommunications agency to acquire their goals.
“Almeria Simmons has spent 31 years at AT&T,” Spiraling said in her speech. “She gives returned thru AT&T, her church and sorority.”
Growing up the oldest of four kids, Simmons stated her single-discern Mom stressed the significance of education. After graduating as valedictorian of the magnificence, younger Almeria’s difficult work opened doors to possibilities with a full-experience scholarship.
“I knew I desired to have an exciting activity,” Simmons told US Black Engineer. “But extra importantly, I wanted to earn money to help my family. I study numerous articles and decided (on) math or engineering.”
Simmons graduated from Jackson State University with a bachelor’s degree in arithmetic and a minor in pc technology. She is the mom to twin sons and a daughter, all of whom have attended university.
Through AT&T’s community outreach programs, she volunteers to serve at local colleges. She also helps her alma mater because she would like to peer them hold to provide schooling for next-technology college students. Simmons is energetic in the East Point College Park alumnae chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a sorority of more than 200,000 college-educated women devoted to the carrier in programs that focus on the African American community.
“I currently serve as co-chair of our Educational Development Committee,” Simmons stated. “In this ability, I even have the possibility to paintings with our adolescents initiative packages for college kids in middle college and excessive school. I am also concerned in several activities with my church own family,” she said.